


I will never leave you!

by MyFairyKing



Category: Naruto
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Humor, Hyuuga Neji Lives, Matter of Life and Death, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2019-08-17 15:38:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16519265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyFairyKing/pseuds/MyFairyKing
Summary: We all wish that Neji would have survived the series. In this story, Neji dies, but he comes back to life shortly after. There is one particular reason that holds him back from leaving this world...Tenten.Over the course of time, both Neji and Tenten realize that their relationship changes, but they struggle to classify their feelings.It takes them a while to understand that they are more than friends...Above all, there are some other obstacles they have to deal with, for example Neji's sealed Byakugan, the main Hyuuga clan and some other stuff ...





	1. A Matter of Life And Death

**Author's Note:**

> Hi folks, this is my first fanfic ever! I'm a huge NejiTen shipper and this story is about them.  
> I plan to make a series out of this, so there are more chapters to come.  
> I like stories and characters to develop properly and not too rapidly (Like GoT Season 8 lol). That's what I'm trying in this story.  
> Some parts tend to be rather mature content, but this story will not turn into a lemon!  
> I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes.  
> Feel free to correct me. I appreciate critique.  
> ___________________________________________________________________________________________  
> I know Gai should be almost dead due to opening the 8th gate against Madara. He should not be around doing contests (in chapter two for example). I have to admit that I've realised that too late, after I have already written the first seven chapters. I don't know if I should rewrite it. At the moment I'm too lazy lol. So let us do this: In my story, he is fine and not seriously injured anymore. He DID fight Madara with the 8th gate and he DID get injured. But Naruto not only saves him from death with his op skills, he is also able to heal him completely. So his leg is fine, too. YOUTH WINS 👍  
> I'm sorry, please forgive me!  
> _____________________________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Lots of love and E N J O Y! xx  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The forth shinobi worldwar comes to its peak. Neji is willing to give his life for his friends. Everybody, including Team Gai, is devestated to learn about his death. Tenten in particular. While departing from the world, Neji's spirit sees the grieving. When Neji perceives Tenten's reaction, something triggers inside him. It really hurts him to see her cry. So eventually, he is not willing to leave (her). He is not ready.  
> Meanwhile, Sakura and her Team of medical Ninjas find Nejis body. Sakura tries to reanimate him, but it seems pretty hopeless...

"No, I think I'm done" Neji could feel how his spirit was about to leave his body. He must have lost a lot of blood. The pain, which ached incredibly a few seconds ago, started to vanish.

 _At least I could save Naruto and Hinata. My sacrifice was not in vain_ , Neji guessed.

"Neji" "Neji, No!" Hinata and Naruto were beside him. Naruto hold him in his arms, Hinata stared at him, shedding bitter tears.

 _She does really love him,_  Neji thought, while blood was coming out of his mouth. This was the end. He didn't have much time left.

"Naruto", Neji started, his voice beeing quiet and weak. "Hinata is willing to die for you. So remember - you hold more than one life. In your hands..." He couldn't feel the pain anymore.

He couldn't feel his body anymore. Seems like talking was still possible, but man it really took his last powers. Neji continued though, for it was important to let Naruto know what he thought:

"...And it seems that my life may have also been one of them."

"But why, why did you. You can't die here! You were gonna change the Hyuuga!" Naruto was upset, he did not want to accept Neji dying, but there was nothing he could do.

Neji was still able to answer: "Long ago, those words of yours freed me from the shackles of fate." He was talking about the Chunin exams.

He remembered them so well, since they changed his opinion on fate. No, even beyond. The events at the Chunin exams changed his whole life.

Naruto remembered as well. "Why would you go so far from me? Even give up your life! Why?" Naruto did not understand. Sure, they've become friends, but they weren't THAT close to each other.

Furthermore, Naruto himself was a fool (Naruto would never admit this though), but Neji was a genius. A genius giving his life for a fool. What an irony. It was enough to drive him to total despair.

Neji answered as if he had read Naruto's mind: "...Because.. you called me a genius..." Neji felt that it was over now.

He still couldn't feel the pain anymore, but he felt something else on his forehead. It wasn't pain, but rather the opposite. Something was releasing pain.

_The curse mark is vanashing_

Neji lifted up his eyes, looking at the sky. His father came to his mind in his last moment.

"Father, I finally understand. The freedom you felt choosing to die in order to protect your comrades"

Before everything became black, Neji had seen his whole life again in his mind's eye within a second. 

He finally felt freedom and peace. But this only lasted for a very few moments...

. . .

Neji could feel how his spirit seperated from his body. The bird was gonna leave its cage. It was an odd feeling.

_What is happening? I'm still here?_

His spirit was still fully conscience, but he didn't realize what was going on.

 _I'm floating_ , he perceived in disbelief. _How? Why am I floating?_

Neji saw himself, his body, a few meters below him. The cursemark was gone. _This is me, but I am up here, too..._

He spotted Naruto and Hinata beeing totally gutted. This crazy Obito guy was trying to demoralize them.

"Naruto! Hinata! Don't listen to him. It's all lies!", Neji shouted, but they could not hear him.

But Hinata seemed to hear him. Well, at least he thought so, because her look changed as she tried to encourage Naruto.

"Hinata!", Neji shouted again, but she didn't reply.

A few moments later, Lee ran towards Neji's body, taking it in his arms, weeping copiously.

"NEEEJIIIIII!"

"Lee, you idiot, I'm up here, I'm alright!" Neji shouted as loud as he could. But it was in vain.

 _...I am ... I am really dead._  Neji finally realized it.

_My body is over there, but I am here as well, fully conscience. This must be some kind of intermediate state before I once and for all depart from this world..._

Neji's spirit's eyes shifted from Lee to the figures next to him. Gai Sensei was usually terrible at staying cool in a dramatic situation, but this time he hid his emotions very well:

"We're heading back. Lee! Tenten!"

 _Tenten._ He looked into her eyes. If he wasn't already dead, her devestated look would have killed him.

She wasn't crying unlike Lee. Actually, Neji had never seen her cry. Tenten was a strong girl who could hide her emotions well. At least in most cases.

When Lee and Gai were fooling around, she wouldn't hide her anger for example. But other than that, she was hard to read.

However, Neji was one of the very few persons who was able to see through her.

This look on her face sent daggers to his nonexistent physical heart. It was a very cold look. It declared utter emptiness. Or was it forsakenness? Probably both.

Neji knew Tenten very well, but he had never seen this look on her face before. It triggered something inside him.

Gai Sensei, Lee and Tenten were walking back. Neji followed them. He didn't want to leave them alone. He didn't want to leave HER alone. He had the need to make HER smile again.

_Tenten, I'm so sorry..._

 

Beeing already several meters away, nobody of them noticed the following Shinobis:

Sakura and her team of medical ninjas arrived at Nejis body. They were trying to heal him.

"It is too late, there is no heart rate" one of them noted.

"Let us try to reanimate him anyway", Sakura said in a determined way.

"Sakura, it's hopeless. Neji lost a lot of blood. We are all sad, but you must accept his death and carr-"

"SHUT UP! I said we try it anyway!", Sakura responded. 

 

...Meanwhile...

 

After some minutes of silence, Gai Sensei continued talking, trying to cover his pain. His voice regained its emotion again: "My red-hot blood is boiling!"

"It must be a super premonition!", Lee replied, full of passion.  

That was it. Tenten wasn't able to hide her feelings anymore. Gai and Lee's inappropriate foolery was the last straw that broke the camel's back. She screamed. As loud as never.

Neji didn't expect this, he was startled a bit to be honest. 

"Tenten, did this really suprise you? Just ignore them! TENTEN!" Neji's voice had gotten louder.

"DAMN IT!! Please hear me, Tenten!" He waved his arms. "Tenten, I am here. TENTEN!!"

It was hopeless. Tenten did not hear him. Neji shed a tear, he couldn't help it anymore.

Tenten exhaled strongly, trying to get calm again. But it didn't really work out.

"Nothing good can come out of beeing stuck with this hot-blooded, airhead duo!", she said to herself. But Neji heard it.

He came closer to her. He tried to tap her shoulder, but he was not able to touch her. It was exasperating. His invisible arm just went trough her body.

Tenten lifted her head and folded her hands. She whimpered: "Neji, why did you leave me?"

Neji tried to touch her again. His voice has gotten desperate now: "Tenten, I haven't forsaken you, I'm next to you. Please. TENTEN!"

"Neji...", Tenten replied as if she had heard him. Of course she didn't. She hanged her shoulders and her head, looking at the ground. "Neji, I'm never going to forgive you!"

Now she was crying, shedding tears.

And those words and tears hit him, folks. How terribly it hit! Neji could actually feel an unbearable stitch in his invisible heart. Nothing compared to the pain while he was dying a few minutes ago.

That was enough. Now, he was crying himself. He couldn't help it anymore.

He did not know what to respond. She wouldn't hear him anyway. All he could do was walking (actually floating) by her side and crying with her.

Then, he finally said with a broken voice: "Tenten, I will not accept this." He was looking straight into her wet, brown-hazel eyes.

It was the first time he noticed how beautiful and unique they were. 

"I refuse to leave you, Tenten. I refuse to leave this world. For I want to make you happy again."

Tenten turned her head towards him. It was as if she looked back to Neji.

It was not possible that she noticed him, but he kinda felt she did. Well, at least he was hoping. 

Neji smiled at her. "Tenten, dear Tenten. I promise... No, I vow to stay. I am not willing to leave!"

. . .

At this moment, Neji's spiritual beeing was caught by an indescribable power. It pulled him away from Tenten.

It happened very quickly, he was not able to think. It took less than a second.

The next thing Neji remembered was pain. Physical pain.

He slowly opened his eyes.

"Welcome back, Neji" It was Sakura.

 

 


	2. A Big Surprise For Team Gai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the war, Team Gai is on their way home. They are still in deep mourning due to Neji's death.  
> Suddenly, Kakashi and Sakura meet them. They have a HUGE suprise for Team Gai...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx  
> 

The war was over. Obito was defeated. Madara was defeated. And eventually Kaguya. Madara temporarily reached his goal. Infinite Tsukuyomi, the dreamworld, lasted for some time before Team 7 was able to end it.

Tenten still remembered. To be honest, one part of Tenten wished this dream would not have ended. In her dream, was respected as skilled Kunoichi. Gai and Lee behaved like sane people.

And Neji...Neji was alive. Sure, he wasn't exactly like the real Neji, but he was ALIVE. She remembered how she saved the village. Everyone acknowledged her.

Neji stood right behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders while giving thanks to her. It felt so good. _Regardless, it was right to have ended. It was an illusion, fake_ , she tried to persuade herself. But it felt so real...

 

Tenten, Gai and Lee were on their way home. "Tenten, you look tired. Embrace your power of youth!", Gai encouraged her. 

"Gai Sensei is right", Lee nodded. Then, something came to his mind:"Let's have a race folks! It will give you energy, Tenten!"

"Lee, this is an awesome idea! Let's do this!", Gai responded with too much energy.

It was so annoying to Tenten. She just ignored them. Usually, she would rant at them, beeing the "straightman" of the group. She hated this word, but Lee and Neji would call her like that from time to time. The straightman who would deliver punchlines all the time.

 _Neji_. Tenten sighted. He was her best friend. He respected her, even in his arrogant days. She trusted him. He trusted her. She was the first person who knew about his cursemark (except the Hyuugas and the Hokage). He told her long ago. He protected her, even when she did not need protection. He was just very attentive and considerate .

 _Stop it Tenten. Thinking about him 24/7 will just make everything worse_. She tried to hide her tears as good as possible, but she couldn't help crying herself to sleep in the nights. Gai and Lee  noticed, and Tenten was sure they cried themselves to sleep as well. Those racings or other stupid "Power of youth" ideas were their way to encourage themselves and Tenten.

Now they were already about 50m ahead of her, running, roaring sweating. They totally forgot about Tenten. But that was okay. At the end of the horizon, Tenten suddenly caught sight of two figures. They approached quickly. Shinobi. It was a silver-haired man and a pink-haired girl. _That's Sakura and Kakashi Sensei! Haven't seen them for awhile. What are they up to?_

She realized she was very happy to see other people than the annoying green beasts of Konoha. Gai and Lee were very important to her, but one could not image how exhausting it would be to spent 2 days and 2 nights alone with those weirdos.

"Tenten!" Sakura shouted, "Is that you? Are you okay?"

"Yo!" Kakashi lifted up his arm and waved "Are you alone? Where is the rest of your team?"

Tenten smiled. A few seconds have passed before Kakashi and Sakura arrived at her. They looked tired and exhausted, but seemed to be alright.

"Good to see you guys. Gai and Lee are drivig me crazy once again!" Tenten turned around and pointed to the back. "Lee and Gai are over there, having their 10th race in one day".

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I see. Not very surprising. Sakura, please stay with Tenten. I will outrun Gai and Lee and bring them back".

"Alright, Kakashi", Sakura agreed.

Kakashi started to run towards Gai and Lee as he yelled: "Gai, Lee! Wait a second!"

Gai heard him and responded: "Kakashi my eternal rival! You come right on time! Come and join our contest!"

Kakashi didn't reply as he tried to catch up to them.

Tenten started laughing: "Poor Kakashi-Sensei. He is always very patient with Gai-Sensei. Wonder what his secret is to deal with him"

Sakura laughed as well: "Gai-Sensei is actually a very important friend to him. Kakashi is just a very laid-back person - actually TOO laid back in my opinion."

"Anyways Sakura, why are you here? Did you just bump into us?"

Sakura now grinned brightly. It was a bit creepy: "No Tenten, we were searching for you. We started to get worried since we could not find you."

"...Thanks to Gai-Sensei" Now Tenten was the one who rolled her eyes.

"Hmm??" Sakura was confused, she didn't know what Tenten meant.

At this moment, Kakashi finally came back with to angry moptops.

"Kakashi, you better have a good excuse for interrupting our contest. Why are you so serious anyway? This seriousness shortens your youth!"

Kakashi giggled. "Believe me my friend, it is worth it. But first, you better tell me why you guys are so far away from the others. We started to get worried"

Now Lee replied: "Gai Sensei had this great idea to take a different route through the mountains. It is more challenging, therefore it's great training. Gai Sensei is super smart, isn't he?!" Lee's eyes sparkled.

"That's right, Lee." Gai answered while doing the "nice-guy" pose.

Kakashi and Sakura were facepalming.

"Well, there you have it", Tenten said in a bored way.

"So, Kakashi Sensei, why did you search for us?", Lee asked.

Kakashi looked at Sakura, now both were grinning. Well, atleast Tenten thought Kakashi was grinning, but it was hard to guess due to his mask. _Why does he wear this thing anyway?_

"Well...", Sakura started, "We have a HUGE surprise for you guys!"

"Huuuuuuuh?" Team Gai was confused.

Kakashi continued: "Please follo-"

"Kakashi, is it a special contest?", Gai interrupted him, "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me. How nice of you to come all way. Let's do it!"

"This is a good guess Gai-Sensei, but my guess is super delicious curry!" Lee now got as excited as Gai.

"Lee, maybe it's both!"

"Yes, Gai Sensei!"

"SHHHUUUUUT UP YOU PINHEADS! Listen to Kakashi Sensei!" Tenten got furious.

"Tenten, you finally got back to normal!" Lee smiled. As a result, he got a painful punch from Tenten.

Kakashi sighed: "Sorry, it's neither a contest nor curry. I promise it's better. Just follow us and you'll see".

It took them a day and a night to get to their destination. Gai, Lee and Tenten tried to get any information out of Kakashi and Sakura, but they would not say anything. Tenten had no clue what it could be. _Maybe every Ninja gets honoured by Lady Tsunade?_  

Overall, Tenten felt a bit better now than the days before. It was nice to have company of Kakashi and Sakura. It distracted her from the pain a bit, but she still cried herself to sleep. _Neji..._ She even dreamed about him. Every night. She never really remembered her dreams in the next morning. All she did remember was a warm feeling and that he was with her. Every morning she would realize that it was just a dream and reality hit her hard every time. Therefore, she hated waking up.

.  .  .

They finally arrived after dusk. Tenten was really tired. Gai and Lee were still fooling around. _Where the heck do they get the energy from?_

Kakashi interrupted Tenten's thoughts: "So, here we are. You first wanna eat something?"

They got to a camp. There were mostly medical Ninjas and paramedics. The camp included many tents which were build up around one big tent.

"No, Kakashi.", Gai replied, "I cannot wait. My blood is pumping! Show us the surprise first, please!"

"I agree, Gai Sensei!!", Lee was not less enthusiastic.

"This is the infirmary", Tenten perceived. "What are we doing here?"

"From here, I will leave you to Sakura", Kakashi said to the group, "My book - ... eeeerrr I meant very important duties are calling me. See ya!" Kakashi was gone very quickly.

"Follow me! We are going inside the big tent in the middle", Sakura said in an excited way.

The air was stuffy inside the tent. There were so many people inside. Too many. Doctors, paramedics, nurses and medical Ninjas were running from spot to spot. How on earth would one stay on top of things? It was obvious that the staff was a bit overwhelmed. There were still so many injured ninjas who needed help.

"Come on quick, we don't wanna stand in anyone's way", Sakura commanded.

As quickly they entered the tent, as quickly they exited it again. Everybody was relieved that they would not stay there.

"Why did we go through the tent if we would not stay?" Tenten asked, confused.

"Because it's quicker to get to our destination instead of walking around....Oh there we are". Sakura stopped in front of another tent, but it was a small one.

At this moment, Hinata and Hiashi Hyuuga came out of it. Both seemed to be a bit to well considering Neji's death. They were smiling brightly, just like Kakashi and Sakura the other day.

"Tenten-chan, Lee-san, Gai Sensei! Finally you are here". Hinata said that in the most exciting way Tenten had never heard before.

"Seems like everybody knows what's going on except us", Lee noticed.

"Stop the wondering. Come in and find out. Father and I are having dinner now. See you later!" And there they went off.

Sakura opened the tent, but she stayed outside. Gai, Lee and Tenten went inside - in that particular order. Before Tenten could see anything, she only heard Gai and Lee screaming and crying at the same time.

 _What stupidity could be responsible for their foolery this time?_ Tenten thought beeing annoyed.

Actually, she was not interested in the surprise at the moment. Maybe tomorrow. She needed sleep. She was super tired. She looked up. Everything she saw was Lee and Gai hugging someone while crying their hearts out. But she could not see who it was because Gai and Lee were taking the whole view.

"I can't believe it, how is that POSSIBLE?!" Lee was hardly understandable due to his crying.

Neither was Gai-Sensei: "It's the power of youth, what else could it be!"

Tenten was still standing at the entrance of the tent. Confused, tired, annoyed.

"Isn't it possible for you to stay sane for 5 minutes, you fools?!" Tenten shouted. Probably the whole camp heard that for it was very loud.

. . .

"That's not very polite to greet a teammate, Tenten"

Tenten was petrified with horror. _THAT VOICE._


	3. Removing All Doubts, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Gai learned that Neji is alive.  
> While Gai and Lee are happy af, Tenten cannot believe it.  
> She refuses to believe that it's the real Neji. It must be some kind of bad-prank-jutsu in her opinion.  
> So Neji tries his best to convince her. To do so, he reminds her of their special friendship...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx

_No. Impossible. I'm just tired, that's why I thought I heard it. HIM._ Tenten couldn't move. She was in shock.

But that voice did speak again: "Guys, you are crushing me! You can let go now. I can't breathe. PLEASE!"

It took him another 2 minutes to enforce his command. Gai and Lee slowley let go and went two steps back.

The man whom they just hugged looked up and spoke again: "Hello Tenten". Neji smiled at her. He then reached out his hand: "Come here, please". His voice was calm.

Tenten's mind was like: _gofjbnöof#+etf <l'4rz78a>'SÖCÖ*Ö'ÄÖC!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????_

She just widened her eyes and stared at him. And stared. And stared.

Then she finally got her voice back: "WHOEVER YOU REALLY ARE, DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?! Turn into Neji-kun with damn Ninjutsu? That's not a silly prank anymore, this is cruel!" Tenten was furious. She did not realize the tears that were running down her cheeks.

Now Lee and Gai looked at Neji in a doubtful way, wondering if Tenten was right.

Neji sighed. "Do not worry. I am the real Neji Hyuuga. I was dead for a few minutes, but Sakura and her team of medical-ninjas were able to reanimate me. I guess errr... my strong will and..." , ...he looked at Gai and Lee thoroughly, "...the power of youth brought me back"

"AHHH this is my student. No doubt this is my student." Gai started crying again.

"OUR NEJI!", Lee added with a sob.

Neji smiled. That was the reaction he wanted to see. "Gai-Sensei, would you help me to get up, please? I'm still a little weak. If Tenten doesn't want to come over I guess I have to approach her"

"Sure, Neji", Gai responded. 

"Tenten, you better stop acting like this!", Lee said in an angry way.

Gai helped Neji to get up. He supported him and walked with him towards Tenten.

"Tenten", Neji started while looking at her, "It is me. Neji. I am saying the truth. You must have met Hinata and Hiashi. And Sakura and Kakashi were asked to search you, right? Do you really think everyone was acting silly in order to prank you in such a disgusting way?"

Tenten still stared at him. Her eyes were wet. She was petrified. She did not say anything. _Can it be true? Neji...alive?_

Neji raised his voice to speak again: "All right. Let me tell you something only you and I know. Then you must believe me. Okay?"

After hearing this, Gai immediately had to think about that embarrassing encouter with Kakashi on that ship the other day. One word: ACORN.

"Neji, please don't hurt Tenten by exposing her!" Gai pleaded.

Neji turned his head to Gai: "WHAAAT? Gai-Sensei, I would never hurt Tenten. How ridiculous. Do not worry... "

He turned his head back to Tenten and looked straight into her eyes: "So Tenten, do you agree?"

She simply nodded. She was not able to speak.

"Guys, could you please leave for a few minutes? I'm sorry, but you gotta understand", Neji addressed Gai and Lee. They were not that happy about it, but finally accepted. Before they left, Gai helped Neji sitting back down.

"Gai-Sensei, let us use the time to do some training! Let's see if we can do 1000 push-ups while Neji and Tenten are talking!"

"Your youthful energy is so inspiring, Lee! Let's do it!" And so, Gai and Lee left the tent. 

Neji and Tenten both sighed at the same time.

"Please take a seat, Tenten" Neji pointed to the spot next to him on his cot. Tenten first hesitated, but then she did take a seat. But she made sure to keep some distance. She was still doubtful.

Neji took something out of his pocket. It was a pendant: A little wooden bird. The carving was rather plain but pretty. There was an inscription in it, saying: "I AM FREE".

"Do you remember this, Tenten?", Neji asked.

She stared at it. What a stupid question. How could she not? _Could this actually be the real Neji?_

Tenten finally nodded, still staring at the wooden work, made by Tenten herself!

Neji continued with a look of expectancy. "Do you have yours aswell? The one I made for you?"

Tenten again hesitated. But then she finally reached out her right hand to her pocket. She slowly took out her pendant and looked at it...

It was another wooden bird which had a lot of detail. A beautiful piece of work. Tenten was still amazed at Neji's carving skillls. It loooked flawless, in contrary of her bird. It had the same inscriptions: The words "I AM FREE".

Neji smiled again. "Only you and me know the story behind those pendants. Not even Lee, Gai-Sensei or Hinata know about it. Just you and me. I'm going to tell you this story. I hope you'll then believe me, Tenten".

Both stared at the ground as he started to tell the story since both caught up in their memories: "...It was about 5 or 6 years ago. We just became Genin and we were put together in Team Gai. You know we've already been friends since the start of the academy, don't you, Tenten?"

Tenten still stared at the ground, showing no emotion. She wasn't crying anymore. She kept some distance towards Neji, about one armlength.

After some seconds of silence, Neji continued. "It has been a chilly day, temporarily raining. Typical November weather. Of course we trained outside anyway, because we are …", Neji flourished his hands and gave his voice a mocking undertone, "...because we are Team Gai filled with lots of youthpower"

Neji started giggling.

Silence.

Then Tenten turned around her head, looking at Neji as she started to giggle either. Neji looked back at her, enjoying the fact that he made her laugh.

After a short while, he got serious again: "That day, I went to morning training as usual. Lee and Gai-Sensei were already there, too early as always, doing some strange moves in a swan costume...", Neji frowned, "But you, Tenten, you were missing"

Neji realized that Tenten was still looking at Neji instead of the ground. That was a good sign. "I asked them where you were. Lee told me: _"Tenten was already very upset and angry when she came here. She acted so strange. She told us she wanted to train on her own that day"_

I replied: _"She is angry about you, when are you going to stop acting so ridiculous?!"_  

Lee got very serious then: _"No Neji, this time it was different. She was seriously mad. Not because of us. There is something wrong. Something must have happened last night."_  

Gai-Sensei then joined the conversation: _"We better leave her alone for a few hours. Maybe that's what she needs. She will calm down eventually. And now continue training and stop talking!"_  "

Neji paused for a moment, beeing caught up in his mind.

He needed a few seconds before he continued speaking: "I wasn't happy to leave you alone, Tenten. But I thought Gai-Sensei was right. It was hard though, because...because I really started to get worried, wondering what could have happened to you. It was already noon and we we're going to have lunch, but you still did not show up. I wanted to search you, but Gai-Sensei insisted to give you more time. After lunch, we continued training. Without you...As soon as the sun had set, it was enough for me!"

Neji frowned while remembering. He did remember very well: "I was seriously worried. I asked Lee where you went this morning and he told me you ran into the woods. Gai-Sensei allowed me to leave to see how you are. But if he didn't, I would have left anyway by then...I ran into the woods. After about 15 minutes, I finally found you. You were still training, throwing weapons at targets while jumping through the trees. When I got closer, I realized you were looking really bad: You had scratches everywhere, you were even bleeding!" 

Neji screwed up his face even more while talking because this was not a nice sight. And he remembered it too well.

"...But you didn't care, Tenten. You just continued with a grumpy look on your face. When I called your name you ignored me. I tried it a few more times, but you did not reply. Instead you were throwing shuriken at a tree. You did not move for a second, so I took that chance. I walked towards you, right behind your back, uhhh..."

Neji hesitated. He wasn't sure how to continue. Now he was the one who turned his head to the ground because he became insecure...

But this was too important, so he had to continue:"...A-and I slowly put my hands on your shoulders. I said: _"Tenten. Stop it"_  .

Thank God you did stop. You weren't moving at all anymore. I was thinking of any good words, how to make you open up, but nothing came into my mind..." Neji uttered a sigh.

..."I just said: _"I will not leave you until you don't tell me what's on your mind."_  "

Now Neji was confident enough to look at Tenten again. And to his surprise, she was looking at him, too. 

"Tenten... I was deeply worried that whole day. I strengthened my grip and begged you to talk, saying something like: _" Tenten, please!"_            ...A-And in this moment you finally turned around. It happened very quickly. You did not even look at me, you errr...ju-just fell into my arms... It surprised me actually, since uh… we errr…kinda never really…y-you know…"

Neji's confidence disappeared at a stroke again. At first, he scratched his head. Then, he turned his head away again while playing with his pendant. 

Neji was obviously nervous now, but that didn't prevent him from continuing the story: "Uhhh, anyways, we stood like this for about 20 minutes, I believe..."

Tenten started blushing while hearing this. She quickly turned her head away, too. She remembered it very well. In those 20 minutes they did not talk at all. She remembered how tears were running down her cheeks, but Neji had not noticed - To Tenten's great relief - She didn't want him to see her cry. In those minutes, Tenten's anger vanished completely. Just because of Neji's warm and tender embrace. It was a kind of magic to her. She felt like she could trust him. Only him. It was a feeling he delivered to her without any words spoken...

Tenten's head was still turned away, but Neji suddenly came a bit closer to her - which made her feel even more tensed. She was still doubting that this man next to her was really Neji, but now she dared to hope.

Neji continued reminiscing: "Shame on me, I had totally forgotten about your wounds during those 20 minutes. I should have treated them earlier..."

Tenten suddenly grabbed his hand and lifted up her eyes to his lilac-colored eyes. She was surprised herself that she did that. And the words she was going to say surprised her even more:

"Don't say this, Neji. You were already treating the wounds of my heart..."

They now gazed at each other's eyes which were filled with loads of emotions. Words could not describe it.

 

. . . . . . . . . . .  Silence. . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was not an awkward silence though.

 

They were still holding hands. To break the silence, Tenten turned her head away again while saying:

"Furthermore, you treated my wounds afterwards. And they were not that bad, really. Listen...", Tenten was confident enough to keep eye contact again,

"I tend to believe you. I WANT to believe that this is you, Neji. Honestly. You have no idea how terribly your death hit us. Me... Please continue. The story is not over yet"

Neji looked down with a sad face as he remembered seeing Tenten and the others mourning over his dead body. He needed a few seconds to collect himself: "Alright, Tenten".


	4. Flashback: A New Bond Of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neji wants to prove Tenten that he is for real.  
> So he tells her a story only Neji and Tenten know: The beginning of their deep friendship.  
> This chapter is a flashback of this story because it's smoother to read in my opinion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx

**...** **Neji continues telling the story to Tenten, but we now switch to the flashback directly...**

 

"Tenten, let us talk. Please tell me what's on your mind"... Neji paused a moment and looked around before he spoke again: "But first I take you home. It's getting too cold"

He took off his jacket to put it on Tenten. "...Thank you Neji...Attentive as always. But I don't want to go home..."

"You can't continue training. You need to rest. Your home is -"

"NEJI, I WILL NOT GO HOME!" Now, Tenten got angry again. Neji looked even more worried than before. He stepped back from her, looking confused.

Tenten sighed: "I'm sorry, Neji, I didn't want to shout at you..."

Neji frowned, but to Tenten's surprise he came closer to her again. This guy was incredibly patient! Then, he carefully put his arm around her shoulders: "What's the matter, Tenten?"

She sighed again, but it sounded more desperate now: "I don't know how to tell you, Neji. I'm not very good at opening up. You know, I can't go home because home is the reason why I got so upset in the first place. I'd rather stay here".

"I understand, Tenten"

"You do?"

"YES! Definitely yes. But I will not leave you here... I take you to my place instead. I'm afraid my family won't like it, but they don't have to know...", Neji smirked.

In response, Tenten bursted into laughter. Neji was confused: "What is so funny?"

"Have you forgotten that your family has the byakugan? Of course they will notice me!"

Neji was facepalming because of his fallacy. "Crap, you are right. Then I guess I have to persuade Hiashi. Let's try it. I will not leave you here."

"Thank you, Neji. You are a true friend"

To show her gratitude, she unconsciously put her arm around his shoulders too. Both smiled as they enjoyed that moment.

 

Persuading Hiashi was easier than Neji and Tenten thought. Normally, he would not allow this so easily, but Tenten's bad condition convinced him.

"Take her to the guestroom, Neji. You are now responsible for her. I'm going to inform your parents, Tenten. They must be very worried."

"They won't neither notice nor care anyway" ,Tenten mumbled to herself. Hiashi didn't hear it, but Neji did. He wanted to say something, but he hesitated in the last moment.

Hiashi spoke instead: "Are you sure you don't want to go home?"

"Yes. Thank you, you are very kind... My parents and I fought. I just need some space. I hope you understand"

"Alright then", Hiashi responded, "But you will go home tomorrow. This is an exception. It will not happen regulary"

"Of course, Sir. Thank you very much"

"Good night you two. Neji, be a good host please"

Neji nodded: "I will!"

 

Neji guided Tenten to the guestroom: "That's it. Make yourself at home."

Tenten gaped: "Neji, this room is amazing! It even has its own bathroom!"

It was a rather small room, but the light, traditional furnishing looked really pretty. There was a bed in the middle of the room, right below a big window. A little table and a couch stood in front of the bed. On the right, there was a dresser, a plant and a mirror. The left side of the room was occupied by a desk, a chair and the door to the bathroom. 

"I'm glad you like it, Tenten! ...Uuhm I guess you want to take a shower?"

"Oh yes. That's the best idea of the day!" Tenten already made her way to the bathroom.

"Alright. I will get you some food. You haven't eaten anything, have you?"

"Oooops I have forgotten to eat. I've just realized I'm hungry"

Neji was about to rebuke her for forgetting such an important thing, but he eventually decided to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he turned around to leave the room: "Then I see yo-"

"Errr Neji?!" Tenten seemed nervous, playing with her hair.

"What's the matter, Tenten? Is something wrong about the room?"

Tenten giggled. "No it's perfect! ...But I don't have any clean clothes..."

"Oooh..." Neji felt kinda awkward and scratched the back of his head. But he didn't expose his insecurity any further.

"Do not worry, Tenten. I will ask Naori to bring you some. She is the housemaid"

"Thank you, Neji!" Tenten sounded relieved. She was afraid that Neji was going to offer her HIS clothes. And she would not be ready for this...

 

About half an hour later, Neji came back with a tray: It carried sesame dumplings, green tea and a first aid kit. He knocked: "Tenten, it's me. Neji. Can I come in? Are you finished?"

As a respond, she opened the door. Neji didn't expect the sight: Her clothes were plain, but her hair was different than usually. He has never seen it beeing open. This was the very first time. It reached her waist and was still wet. He stared at her for a moment and blushed a little. 

_She is pretty._

...An awkward feeling caught him. He didn't know what it was, but Neji did not induldge that odd feeling. He was very good at hiding his emotions.

_What is this? Maybe I'm getting ill. But tonight I cannot show any weakness. Tenten needs me..._

To his relief, Tenten did not notice. She only paid attention to the sesame dumplings: "Neji, I can't belief you remembered sesame dumplings beeing my favourite food! You are amazing!"

Neji couldn't help smiling complacently at her. Then, he put the tray on the table: "Tenten, please let me treat your wounds. I've brought bandages and ointment. Meanwhile, please sit down and eat. Is that alright for you?"

She nodded while smiling at him "Neji, you surely know how to lift me up"

Tenten started eating eagerly. Meanwhile, Neji opened the ointment and put it on her scratched knee.

Tenten winced.

"Sorry Tenten, did I hurt you?"

"No, it's just a little cold, you know..."

She was lying. She even tried to convince herself that it was because of the cold, but it was in fact not. It was neither because it hurt, nor due to the cold of the ointment. It was his soft touch on her bare skin that made her wince. It sent shivers down her spine. But she didn't really get it and tried to shake off this weird feeling...

Neji was the same. The feeling he had when Tenten opened the door increased when he touched her knee. It confused him. He still thought he was about to get ill. There was no other reason that came into his mind. So he tried to ignore it as good as possible. To do so, he changed the topic. Meanwhile, he also treated her wounds until everything was treated.

_Now it's time to find out why Tenten had been so upset the whole day._ He waited until she finished eating.

Neji then took a seat next to Tenten on the couch. He pleaded her: "Tenten, will you please tell me what has been on your mind the whole day? You said it had something to do with your familiy..."

Tenten hesitated for a moment. She stared at the ground and contemplated. _How do I start??_

She needed several attempts to form a sentence: "Neji, I.....errr you know..... I-t kinda..."

... Silence...

Neji waited patiently. After a few seconds, Tenten turned her head towards Neji and looked straight into his light eyes: "Neji, can I trust you?"

Neji got a bit offended by that question, as his pretty face turned into a pretty grumpy face: "Tenten, that is a stupid question. Of course you can trust me!"

"Promise me to keep it to yourself for now. I haven't told anyone yet. It's not easy for me to open up"

"Tenten, I promise"

She needed a few more attempts until she finally told him: "As I already implied, the relationship between me and my parents is not good. It actually never has been since I remember"

Neji looked at Tenten thoughtfully while she stared at the ground again. Looking at him while sharing this story would have been harder as it already was.

"My parents have always been very busy, they barely have any time for me. Since I remember. I do understand that people are busy, but for me it seems like they are trying to avoid me. Period. Especially since I decided to become a Ninja. All they care about is making money. And beeing a Ninja is not very profitable. We are neither very rich, nor very poor, but my parent's biggest goal is to become rich and powerful. And they do everything for it."

Neji gulped. He had no clue. _This would also explain why I barely see her parents..._

"Tenten, I had no idea. I am deeply sorry. You always seem so strong and happy..."

She sighed. But at least she didn't longer avoid eye-contact. "You know Neji, this is what made me strong. Pain and loneliness can be good teachers. It also made me independent"

"You are in fact the strongest and most independet girl I know, Tenten", Neji stated.

She tried to hide her blushing face: "...Thank you Neji! I'm very glad to have you as friend. And also Lee and Gai-Sensei, although they can be very annoying from time to time"

He looked at her and smiled, but a few seconds later his look changed. He frowned.

"What are you thinking, Neji?", Tenten asked.

"You said the state you are living in already lasts for years..."

"...Yep, that's right. So?"

"Today, you were very furious. I've never seen you like this..." Neji scratched his head "Something new happened today, something that triggered your anger, right Tenten?"

"Neji, you are as clever as always. You are right" Tenten sipped her tea, thinking about how to continue.

Neji waited patiently. Again. He did not want to set her under pressure. And after 20 seconds or so, she was ready to open up. She put her cup of tea on the table, turned her body towards Neji and looked at him. She noticed that she felt comfortable around him. _Neji is a great listener and it seems like he really cares about me... He is awesome. I think I can trust him indeed..._

"Alright", she said, "The marriage of my parents has never been a happy one, but they are fighting really bad since a month or so. And guess what…",Tenten paused for a moment, "They are arguing about money. Both got promoted not long ago and they argue about how to invest the new earned money. Or something like that. I don't know, it's stupid. Anyways, today their fight got so bad, that…" Tenten gulped.

"…That what, Tenten?", Neji asked.

"…They decided to get divorced, Neji. I wouldn't have thought that I'd care so much, but it hit me hard. When I heard it this morning, I tried to interfere in their fight. As a result, both shouted at me, wanting me to leave them alone. In a - let's say - very impolite way. And then I ran away, full of anger. I didn't want to bother anyone of you with my stuff and I needed some time on my own."

"Tenten, I understand you wanted to be alone, but you are not bothering anyone. We are all there for you. Always."

"You proofed that today. You lift me up like no one else could. Thank you, Neji. I'm sorry." 

Neji patted her shoulder. "Do not apologize, Tenten. Maybe your parents are going to change their mind. People tend to say horrible things when they are angry, things they actually don't mean"

"We'll see…." Tenten looked around the guestroom, having a new thought in mind: "It seems like your family took really good care of you after your father's death. Hiashi is very nice. You are lucky, Neji. Your family is awesome!"

"D o   n o t   s a y   t h a t…." Neji's voice was almost inaudible. Now HE was the one who stared at the ground. The look on his face changed: He looked super furious!

Tenten was terrified…. _What's going on right now? Neji…._

"N-Neji? …Did I say anything wrong? Why are you angry?"

It took him a few seconds to keep his emotions under control. He didn't want to hurt Tenten. _She is not to blame… She doesn't know it._

He remained silent.

Tenten raised her voice again: "Neji-kun… I trusted you and opened up." She carefully took his hand. "You can trust me aswell! You said you are there for me. You know, I'm there for you aswell! I will listen to you".

Neji freed his hand from Tenten's grip which made her even more worried. But he only did it in order to untie his headband with both of his hands. Then, he took it off. As far as Tenten recalled, she had never seen him without a headband. Even in the academy days. He would always cover his forehead. She noticed a "green tattoo" on his forehead immediatly. A strange cross framed by two lines.

Neji pointed at his forehead: "Do you know what that is, Tenten?" 

"…Errrr....A tattoo?" She was confused.

"It's not a tattoo. It's a seal. ...A cursemark"

Neji told her everything about it. The difference between beeing a main house member and a branch house member of the hyuuga, his duties of beeing a branch house member and the use of the seal on his forehead. He even told her about his father's death….

His voice was rather unemotional. Meanwhile, Tenten couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had to fight against the urge of interrupting him to get in a lather. Neji obviously carried a great burden. But Tenten remained silent and continued listening, though the look on her face turned into a painful one. _I need to contain myself until Neji is finished. He is finally opening up, so I should not interrupt him…_

"The thing is...", Neji groaned, "This is my fate. It's destined. There is no way of escaping it. The only way to break the seal is to die…"

Tenten didn't know what to reply. There were no clever words that came into her mind... She looked at him thoroughly, full of sadness. "Neji…"

He looked up and noticed her sad look: "Tenten, it's okay. Please don't pity me"

"Neji, I had no clue. At all. This is terrible… I wish there was something I could do for you…"

"But you are already, Tenten" He finally smiled again while looking at her.

She didn't understand. "What do you mean? All I do is listen to you"

"Exactly. Don't pretend as if it's nothing. You are the first person I tell this… Because I highly respect and trust you, Tenten… And you know what?"

"Mhhh?" She tilted her head, wondering what he was going to say.

"In my family, I am a caged bird. But when I'm with you…"

Neji hesitated for a moment, but he eventually decided to finish his sentence: "…When I'm with you Tenten, I feel free. For the first time"


	5. Removing All Doubts, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neji wants to prove Tenten that he is for real.  
> So he tells her a story only Neji and Tenten know: The beginning of their deep friendship.  
> In this chapter, Neji finishes telling the story. How is Tenten going to react? Will she finally believe that Neji is alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx

**...End of flashback. We now head back to the present...**

 

" _I feel free. For the first time_ " Neji's voice got passionate: "This is what I said Tenten, remember? And I meant it. And I still mean it!"

She nodded, looking very reflective.

"Tenten, do you remember what you responded? You said you feel the same about me. In your family, you've always felt captured, but you feel free when you are with me"

Neji enhanced his grip. They were still holding hands.

"Tenten-chan, please look at me"

Tenten couldn't. She realized it was him. It must be Neji… And her mind and heart went crazy. Especially her heart. He is alive.

Neji raised his free hand in order to put it on Tenten's chin. He softly lifted it up, making her to look at him.

Tenten tried her best to hold back her tears. When she was finally able to keep eye contact, Neji put his hand away from her chin to take HIS pendant, made by HER, as he said:

"That whole night, we were just talking. About our families, our village, our lives, our team, about us. It was so relieving! There was a special bond between us. We both felt it. You have to admit that. Tenten, it was YOUR idea to carve these wooden pendants - From me to you and from you to me… In rememberance of our precious friendship. I've always carried it with me since and -"

Tenten interrupted him. That was enough. This was definitely Neji. She wasn't able hold back her emotions any longer...

 

"NEEEJIII!!", she cried, jumping towards him. Heck, she didn't care about beeing weak by crying anymore. _NEJI IS ALIVE!_ She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. He returned her embrace tenderly, first stroking her back, then stroking her head. "Finally, you believe me", Neji mumbled while shedding a tear.

And there it was again: This funny feeling both have felt before. The feeling Neji thought was some kind of pronouncing illness. But he was sure he was on his way to recovery. It confused him. And the most weird thing was, this feeling would only appear when he was with Tenten…

His stomach felt like a racetrack. A racetrack for airplanes… That's the best he could describe it. Furthermore, he started to feel very dizzy and his heartbeat skipped twice as fast as usual. At least...

Heck, When did it get so hot in here? Neji tried to shake it off as good as possible. I'll try to figure it out later. For now, everything that matters is that Tenten believes me and that she is with me…

He looked down at Tenten. Her hair got messy, her face swollen, but Neji didn't care. Gosh, Tenten is beautiful…

Tenten still sniveled. This was too much for her. She thought he was dead. It gave her so much pain. But then he was alive now, holding her in his warm arms.

Neji got the urge to comfort her somehow, he felt that hugging her was not enough. So without thinking twice, he rested his nose on the parting in her hair before kissing it softly.

. . .

Tenten instantly stopped sobbing. Neji's kiss shocked her. It triggered something. Her heart exploded.

Like Neji, she wasn't really able to classify this feeling she felt. This was completely new to her. But unlike Neji, she didn't think about it too much at the moment.

She was just overwhelmed with happiness. She lifted up her head to look into his eyes...

Did he cry aswell? His eyes look a bit swollen… NO, Neji never cries…

Neji now looked into Tenten's eyes aswell. Though "looking" is the wrong word. Rather gazing.

And then it happened very quickly. Tenten leaned closer towards Neji and kissed him. Their lips met.

It was a quick and innocent kiss, but a sweet one.

In the fraction of a second, Tenten realized what she has done.

She promptly pulled back from Neji. Tenten was deeply embarrassed.

She avoided his glimpse… In opposite to Neji, who still stared at Tenten. In shock. Neji, the so-called-genius, was completely discombobulated.

Both Neji and Tenten's faces were as red as tomatoes.

 

In this moment, their teammates Gai and Lee entered the tent while shouting: "CUUUUURRRYYYYY!!! Surprise, we've got Curry for us all!!!"

Lee declared: "Let us celebrate Neji's comeback. I'm sure you now believe this is Neji, don't you Tenten?"

Both Lee and Gai didn't observe what has just happened between Neji and Tenten.

"WHO ALLOWED YOU TO COME IN?!" Neji replied in an angry manner, still in shock.

Tenten in response ran out of the tent as fast as possible. This was all too embarrassing, weird and overcharging.

Neji, Gai and Lee looked after her, confused-looking.

"TENTEN!" Lee called, but Tenten didn't reply.

Gai lifted up his index finger to rant and rave at Neji: "Neji you fool, what have you done? I've told you to NOT expose or embarrass Tenten. What has she done to you that you are so mean to her?!"  
Instead of looking at his Sensei, Neji still stared at the tent's entrance where Tenten escaped from seconds ago.

Rather to himself instead of Gai, Neji replied whisperingly:" She enchanted me"

 


	6. A Day In The Life (Tenten's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenten contemplates her feelings for Neji. She avoids him on purpose because the whole situation (especially that kiss in the last chapter) is too overwhelming for her. And if this wasn't bad enough, another guy has suddenly a crush on her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx
> 
> Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

**\- Time skip of a few weeks -**

 

 **Tenten's POV**  

 

It took some time for Konoha to get back to normal. Well, as far as possible after all what has happened.

A lot of parts of the village have already been re-constructed, but there was still work to be done.

Everybody who wasn't injured helped. Especially the Shinobis and Kunoichis, since some of their powers were extremely helpful, for example Captain Yamato's Mokuton.

Gai constently tried to challenge Kakashi to do a contest: Who builds stuff quicker, who tidies up quicker, who carries more stuff from one spot to another… Lee of course imitated this. He constantly tried challenge random people. That was getting ridiculous, but it made everything a bit more fun - at least for Maito Gai and Rock Lee.

Besides helping here and there, Tenten's major job was it to provide everybody with water, snacks, tools and whatever else was needed. Her high developed fuinjutsu skills (storing things in her scrolls) were really useful and people kept telling her all the time. At the beginning it annoyed her a bit (she didn't like it to be considered as a tool), but now it didn't bother her that much anymore. She was happy to help with her abilities.

She had not seen Neji very much in the last weeks…

_Neji…Damn it! Why do I think about him again? I need to distract myself even more…_

Tenten was busy indeed, but she actually avoided Neji on purpose. She knew this was a cowardly and childish behaviour, but she was just overwhelmed with the whole situation. However, Tenten didn't have the heart to ignore Neji completely. She had to make sure he was recovering well. And he did slowly. Neji was still a bit weak, but he was already able to walk short routes on his own. Of course he already wanted to help reconstructing the village, but everybody made sure that he rested.

Tenten would only visit Neji if Lee and Gai (or some others) joined her, but never alone. She was too afraid to face him on her own. The atmosphere had always been a bit tensed when they met in the few past weeks. Nobody would mention the kiss though, especially since other people were around. Actually they wouldn't talk that much at all...

Tenten sat down on a bench to take a little break and to drink some water. She was tired. She didn't get much sleep lately. Without wanting it, the negative thoughts came up to her mind again as she put her hands on her forehead:

_I embarrassed myself with that stupid kiss. What the heck was I thinking?! And what is Neji thinking about me right now? He probably laughs about me… Naw, Neji is not that type. I bet he is super angry. He would scold me. He probably will as soon as he gets better. As soon as we are alone. I need to avoid this... Damn it, I guess I destroyed our friendship! How on earth can we ever deal with each other again the way we did before?_

And that was not the only thing she thought about. She had always liked Neji a lot, admired him. But that night… The night where she found out he wasn't dead… Her feelings towards him changed. _His sexy look… His beautiful voice... His embrace… His lips on my head, his lips on mine…_ Gosh, even thinking about it made it hard to breathe. She had the urge of beeing near him constantly. Damn it, she cared so much for Neji. She knew it was more than friendship. It took her the last few weeks to realize that she might have fallen for him. Not only "crush-like", but seriously fallen in love. Tenten had never really fallen for anyone before, so it wasn't familiar to her and she had no clue how to handle this. She would have liked to get some advice about it because she was so confused! But Tenten didn't know whom to address. And it would be too embarrassing to talk about it anyways. So she tried to fight against her feelings instead _._ She had good reasons anyway:

 

  1. Neji was a great friend, her best friend actually, but he would NEVER like her the same way. Tenten just couldn't imagine it.
  2. If he DID like her back the same way, Neji was still a Hyuga. It was his duty to marry a fellow Hyuga in the future. And Tenten was not a Hyuga. That was THE knockout argument.
  3. Those feelings could destroy their friendship and maybe even the whole Team Gai. Heck, maybe they already have!



 

Tenten had actually never been that type of a overthinker, so having those thoughts drove her insane. But she just couldn't stop it. _Maybe there is some kind of jutsu to get rid of it? I will have to find that out_ …

 

"Hey Tenten, have you got some water for me, please?" A guy with a rather low but quiet voice approached her.

Tenten didn't listen because she was lost in her thoughts. As a response (not to him, but to her thoughts) she simply sighed.

"Errr sorry if I said something wrong. I'll get it myself" The guy was about to pass.

Tenten finally realized that someone was talking to her. She looked up and tried to sound happy.

"SHINO! What's up? Did you say something? Sorry I didn't listen"

Shino looked a bit offended, but it was hard to tell since his dark glasses covered his eyes.

"Why does this happen to me all the time? People either don't listen to me or forget me completely.", Shino mumbled more to himself. "Anyways…", he continued trying not to look too offended, "I asked you for some water. Can you spare some?"

"Sure, Shino. Come take a seat and join me for a minute", she replied. Tenten hung out with Gai and Lee all the time and these two could be very loud and annoying. Shino was more quiet and calm, so she would enjoy his company. After all, it would maybe stop her from thinking about Neji for at least a few minutes.

Shino happily accepted her offer. His offended look turned into a slight smile. "Thank you, Tenten. I need a lot of water because of my bugs and beetles who are… bla bla bla bla" Shino delivered a lecture about his beetles and their nutrition. He was a quiet person, but he enjoyed talking about the things he loved. Once he started he couldn't stop. Tenten tried to listen, she didn't want to offend him again - Shino always got offended very easily and quickly.

 _It's not that boring, but actually interesting. At least a bit,_ Tenten tried to persuade herself, trying to get distracted from Neji. Shino kept talking for another ten minutes. He was so enthusiastic, Tenten had never seen him acting like that. However, it was more of a monologue. Tenten just listened, or at least tried to listen, but she didn't say anything back. Shino finally realized that too, knowing that Tenten is usually not that quiet. He suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence and changed the topic abruptly: "Hey, are you okay? You are so quiet. Usually nobody lets me talk about my bugs for so long. Are you even listening, Tenten?"

"I'm listening Shino, don't worry. I'm just a bit tired… You were talking about how you treat your bugs in winter. You surely know a lot about ecology, it's impressive!" Tenten smiled and it was not faked. Of course it was a bit annoying that Shino only talked about himself, but it was a good distraction for her. Furthermore, this guy got hardly ever the chance to talk about himself because people wouldn't let him. And he was a nice person and a pal. So why not?

Shino on the other hand smiled with a slight blush. It made him really happy that someone listened to him and called him "impressive". And that someone was a pretty kunoichi…

"Thank you Tenten. I really appreciate your attentiveness. Anyways, I was going to say that….bla bla…bla bla"

Shino kept talking about his bugs. After another ten minutes it was enough for Tenten. She couldn't listen anymore and it finally got boring. She didn't want to hear the word "bug" one more time again. Moreover, there was still some work to be done at her home. Her parents were not around for weeks ("business trip") and she re-built their home on her own - of course with the help of skilled builders and constructors.

Tenten suddenly interrupted Shino: "That was interesting Shino, but I have to leave now, sorry. I totally forgot that I have to furnish one more room at my house and I wanted to get this done today. BYE!" She stood up and ran away a bit too quickly, beeing relieved that she was finally able to escape from his lecture about insects.

She left a confused Shino behind who called after her: "Tenten, wait, let me help you!... Tenten, you forgot your scroll!" He stood up, took her scroll that she had forgotten and hurried after her. But Tenten didn't hear him anymore (or she didn't want to hear him anymore). She was a faster runner than him.

When she finally got home, she started working immediately: Carrying furniture from one point to another.

She accidentally left the front door opened.

There was this cupboard she needed to carry upstairs… It was not a big one, so she thought she could do it by herself. It also would be good for training as Lee would say. Tenten had always been an independent girl who did things like that on her own. She managed to lift the cupboard up. _Damn it, that's fucking heavy!!_ But she continued, beeing the strong girl she was. She made it to the stairs… Made the first five steps with a lot of exhaustion… But then, her strength lost her and she lost balance. Tenten toppled over and fell behind. She dropped the cupboard which was about to fall on her. She screamed.

At this moment, Shino came in and reacted quickly: He commanded his insects to catch the cupboard and he himself caught Tenten before she hit the floor. This moment was enough for him to develop a little crush on her. She was the first person who listened to him about his beloved insects for so long. She called him impressive. And now he could save her. Shino finally felt recognised. It was a nice feeling. Well, the same was not for Tenten. She was really grateful though:

"Shino! That's what I call perfect timing. Thank you!"

"Are you okay? You should be more careful, Tenten."

Tenten tried to get up, but Shino didn't loosen his grip. He didn't want to. After a few seconds, it was getting awkard. 

"Ehhh Shino, you can let go now, I'm fine", Tenten demanded, beeing slightly hacked off.

"Ermmm???? Oh sorry. I was just distracted looking at my bugs. Isn't it amazing how strong these little creatures are, beeing able to carry a cupboard?" This was a bad excuse, but a Shino Aburame would not show any weakness or emotion, and that was the best pretence he could think of at the moment. Furthermore, he could hold her a bit longer while talking...

"Yeah. Awesome. Will you let me go now?" Tenten's level of annoyance increased.

Shino sighed inside, but his pokerface was still going strong. He relunctantly let her go.

"Thank you. Anyway, how were you able to come inside in the first place?"

Shino handed Tenten her scroll back. "You forgot this. I hurried after you to give it back to you...You left the door opened"

"Ohhh. Thank you, mate. It would've been a disaster if I lost it!"

Shino looked around. "There is still some furniture that needs to be put at its spot. Let me help you Tenten"

Tenten thought about it for a second. She actually had enough of Shino for one day. But on the other hand he would be pretty helpful and she could't dump him after him saving her. "Fine. Thanks, Shino", she eventually replied.

They didn't talk much while working together, but they were a great team. It took them only one hour to be finished. The sun had already sunken - now it was dark outside.

"That was the last one. Thank you very much, Shino."

"Sure. Call me whenever you need any more help, Tenten". Shino played nervously with his glasses before he took all his guts to ask her the next question: "Ehhh… Tenten?"

"Shino?" 

"…W-Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? That would be a good oppurtunity to show you my new favourite place to eat. It's the finest salad bar in Konoha"

...  
"Ehhhhhhhhh.….", was all Tenten could reply. She wasn't sure if she wanted to join him.

At this very moment, Lee suddenly knocked at Tenten's window, beeing as excited as always: "TENTEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"

Tenten was relieved. _Thank you, Lee._ She opened the window: "How often have I told you to just use the door?" She punched Lee teasingly, "Come in"

"And I got interrupted again….", Shino mumbled inaudibly.

"Seems like you are finished with your house. Good job, Tenten!" Lee looked around and finally caught sight of Shino: "Hey Shino, what on earth are you doing here?"

Shino creased his face into a frown: "Lee. Is it that surprising that I am with a friend?" 

"To be honest, yeah. This is not Kiba but Tenten".

"So, you are saying that Kiba is my only friend? Don't be so rude, Rock Lee!"

 _What is happening here?! I need to end this_ , Tenten thought.

"…Uumm you know Lee, Shino helped me to furnish this place, carrying all the stuff, you know? He was a good support. We have just finished"

"That's right. And now, the salad bar is waiting for us to…." Shino got interrupted again before he could finish his sentence. It was Lee: "Tenten! Why didn't you ask me? I would have helped, too. This also would have been great training! I bet my youthful power is stronger than Shino's!"

Shino was seething: "WHAT THE...?! JUST SHUT UP, DUDE!"

"Stop it, guys! Lee, you were busy with other stuff. Anyways, what's the matter? Why did you come in the first place?"

"Ahhhh right, I almost forgot! Gai-Sensei and I wanted to visit Neji. Now. I came to pick you up. I'm sure you want to join us, don't you, Tenten?"

_…Neji…There he is in my mind again..._

Tenten was lost in thought, so Shino replied instead: "Sorry Lee, but Tenten and I already planned on going to the new salad bar. You'll have to go without her. Send Neji my regards, will you?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?" Lee stared at Shino, then at Tenten, beeing discombobulated.

Tenten finally got back to reality. Of course it would be awkward again to deal with Neji, but she wanted to see him really bad. It's already been a week since they visited him.

"Shino… I thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. But we have to cancel the salad bar, I'm sorry. I haven't seen Neji in a week. He is not only my teammate… Neji is my best friend. He is probably cross with me because I haven't visited him for so long…" She looked at the ground, beeing lost in thought again.

"Do not worry, Tenten! Our boy Neji is not like that", Lee replied, posing with his finest nice-guy posture.

Shino put his hands into his pockets, feeling uncomfortable, maybe a bit jealous. But he had to accept it: "Fine. I understand. If it were Hinata or Kiba, I would have reacted the same way. You are good teammates."

"Thank you, Shino. I see you later"

"Don't forget our dinner, Tenten. I'll ask you again next time I see you"

"….Ehhhhhh sure. Bye!" 

"I'll happily join you then, though I prefer Curry", Lee added. "Bye, Shino!"

Shino was not impressed that Lee invited himself. He was not invited anyway. Shino wanted to be alone with Tenten. But he was too tired and insecure to argue now. He just answered: "Goodbye. I hope Neji gets well soon" And then Shino went off.

"Let's go as well, Tenten. Gai-Sensei is waiting for us" He took out a bag: "I brought some Omusubi. Do you want some? I'm sure you're hungry"

"Thank you, Lee!" Tenten happily took one. "Let's go!"

They went outside. It turned cold.

"Tenten…", Lee started, "What was this all about? How come Shino helped you?"

Tenten told him the whole story while sharing omusubi with him.

Lee didn't reply. They kept walking side by side in utter silence for the next few seconds.

Tenten couldn't stand that silence. Something was wrong: "Lee, why are you so quiet? Is anything wrong?"

"I'm just thinking…"

"About what?"

"About Shino… Tenten, this guy likes you. I mean he LIIIKES you, you understand?" He gesticulated in a ridiculous way while saying this.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! You must be kidding. Shino is just a kind person"

"Well, he has never been that kind to me."

"You are wrong, Lee"

"I may not be super intelligent like Neji, but I DO know when a boy likes a girl. And Shino does like you. It's so obvious!"

"Mhhh I doubt it…"

"…Do you like him back, Tenten? I mean... in THAT way?"

"WHAAAAT?! I mean he is a nice person, but NO, not in THAT way!"

"Okay. That would have surprised me, to be honest. I always thought you liked Neji"

. . .

_This is getting too uncomfortable. I will not discuss my feelings with Lee, even if he is a good friend. Just NO!_

"Ehhh we all like Neji, don't we?" _AAHHH this is bad. I need to switch the topic._ She nervously played with her headband.

"Ummm anyways Lee, how has your day been? How far are you with rebuilding your home?"

Lee looked at Tenten with a dubious look. He immediately noticed that she switched the topic on purpose. That just confirmed her feelings about Neji. In fact, she acted strange around Neji for the last weeks…

For a second he pondered whether he should insist on the last topic, but he eventually decided to leave it for now. Seems like she didn't want to talk about it anyway. He would ask her about it later. So, he decided to simply answer her question:

"The day has been awesome! Today, I was helping to arrange a new training ground. You will love it, Tenten! Then, I had BBQ with Shikamaru and Choji."

"Cool! So you didn't continue working on your home?"

"Nope. The training grounds are more important. I think it will take a few more weeks until my room is ready - till then, I'm still living with Gai-Sensei"

"Gosh, I don't want to image how this is like... You and Gai-Sensei sharing a home!"

"It's awesome!" Both started laughing. Tenten didn't always reveal it, but Lee was a very a important friend of hers. She liked him a lot.

"Look Tenten, over there! GAI-SENSEEEEI!" Lee was pointing at his sensei and father-figure, before he increased his pace. Tenten followed. Gai was already standing in front of the Hyuuga estate, doing some push-ups.

"Lee, Tenten! There you are!" Gai waved at them.

"Hey Gai! How's your day been?" Tenten asked.

"It was great, Tenten! Today I won a contest against Kakashi. AGAIN! Then, we went to the Curry place along with my old pals Genma and Ebisu. That's why Lee picked you up on his own."

"Gai-Sensei is amazing, isn't he? He is now 1 point ahead of Kakashi - The score is 57 - 56 I believe" 

"That's right, Lee!"

"Yeah. Great." Tenten didn't even try to sound enthusiastically. "Can we go inside now?"

"Sure, let's goo!", Gai replied.

Tenten was really excited to see Neji. Excited and nervous. She tried to suppress this weird feeling in her stomach. It drove her insane, because she wasn't able to control it. Her head told her to shake those feelings off and to forget the sweet kiss and everything else... But her heart was stronger now: She embraced the excitement of finally seeing him again _. Neji... I hope he isn't mad at me. He probably noticed that I avoided him..._ Now, the excitement turned into fear. But there was no turning back now. And Gai and Lee were with her, so everything was going to be fine. She just had to act it cool, just like the last times.

Gai knocked at the Hyuuga estate.

Hinata shyly opened the door: "Hello Gai, Lee and Tenten, nice to see you!"

"Hi, Hinata!" They replied.

"So, I guess you are here to visit Neji?"

"That's right!"

"Come in, guys. I accompany you to his room"

"Thank you, Hinata. How is Neji? His he regaining his youthful power?", Gai asked.

"...Uuuuhm yeah, he is getting stronger, so he is well... But he is in a very bad mood today. So please don't be angry with him if he doesn't act friendly"

Now, Tenten got even more afraid: "...Is it...Is it because of us, Hinata? Because we haven't visited him for a week?"

"No, don't worry, Tenten. It has nothing to do with you guys"

_What is the matter? Did something happen to Neji? On the other hand, Neji is just in a bad mood from time to time..._

"I am sure we can lift him up!" Lee said optimistically while clenching his fist.

"I really hope so, Lee!", Hinata replied before she stopped. "Here we are". She carefully knocked at the door of Neji's room: "Neji?! Your old team is here to visit you! Gai, Lee and Tenten. Can we come in?"

... No response...

She tried it again: "Neji?!"

... No respose ...

"Maybe he is already sleeping... Sorry guys, you should come back tomorrow"

"Let me try it. You were too quiet, he probably didn't hear you", Gai reckoned.

Gai knocked embarrassingly loud. "NEJI! We are finally here! I brought you my favourite dumbbells, so let us come in!"

... No response ...

"We should let Neji sleep. He had a hard day. You can come back tomorrow, okay?", Hinata suggested.

Tenten kinda had a bad feeling. Something was wrong. She could sense it: "Hinata... Could you please check with your Byakugan if Neji is inside?"

"Ehhh wh- what do you mean? Of course he is! I've just spoken to him half an hour ago"

"Please, Hinata", Tenten demanded.

"Alright. BYAKUGAN!"

...

Hinata frowned.

"So? What do you see, Hinata? Is Neji really sleeping or just ignoring us?" Lee asked.

"Neji is not inside at all... And I also can't see him anwhere in the house! Neji is gone!"

Gai opened the door to check himself. Neji was indeed gone.


	7. A Day In The Life (Neji's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neji is recovering from his injuries.  
> Tenten is on his mind 24/7. Why is she avoiding him after that sweet kiss?  
> If that wasn't bad enough, he has the same nightmare about her repetitously. Is she in danger?  
> While starting training again, Neji realises that his Byakugan is sealed - due to his death.  
> Neji gets super angry...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx
> 
> This chapter takes place at the same day as Tenten's day in Chapter 6!

**Neji's POV**

 

Neji was running as fast as he could. His strength and stamina were long gone, but his will was stronger, so he kept on moving.

 

"NEJI! HELP!", She squeaked in desperation.

 

 "Hang in there, Tenten! I'm coming!", Neji screamed back, breathing fitfully.

 

He ran up old and friable winding stairs. Now and then some steps were missing completely, so he had to jump over them. It was quite dark. Only candles were lighted, which were placed on the walls.

These walls were friable and old as well. This was probably a tower of an ancient castle. There were no windows in the walls, but something else instead: skulls. Skulls everywhere. It was creepy. A guy like Naruto would have wet his pants.

 

"TENTEN!", Neji yelled again as loud as he could.

 

"NEJI!", Tenten yelled back.

 

Another voice rang out. A man's voice. It was a loud and evil laughter: "HAHAHAHAHA! How cute. Now give up, boy! You'll be a nice addition to my skull collection!"

 

"I will beat the shit out of you!", Neji replied in anger.

 

Neji reached the top of the tower: He finally saw Tenten, though he didn't spot much. It was too dark. Tenten wasn't able to move for any reason Neji didn't know. A dark figure with a long, black coat had her in a headclock with it's right arm. It's left arm held a big scythe. This figure looked like the Grim Reaper from scary stories. Neji didn't see his face.

 

There were only three steps left. Neji took all his strength to jump over them.

Suddenly, three more steps appeared out of nowhere. When Neji reached these ones, another three steps appeared. He tried to be faster, but it didn't help. The same process happened again and again. Tenten and the dark figure were still only a few meters apart from him, but he just couldn't reach them. It was exasperating!

Neji tried to use a jutsu to attack the figure from distance, but it didn't work. For any reason Neji wasn't able to carry out a jutsu anymore. Suddenly all of his shinobi skills left Neji.

 

"When did you get so weak and useless, Neji?", Tenten ranted at him.

 

That hurt. Furthermore, it wasn't usual for Tenten to act like this. The dark figure was laughing it's ass off. Neji wanted to reply, but he realized that he wasn't even able to speak anymore. Instead, Tenten continued ranting:

 

"They call you a prodigy? A genius? Well, I call you a failure. You are not even able to protect me. You are a total disappointment, Neji Hyuuga!"

 

This literally hit him: At this very moment, Neji fell. He fell into a black hole and screamed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

While still screaming, Neji finally woke up. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was: In his room inside the Hyuuga estate. Beads of sweat were running down his face as he breathed fitfully.

 

"This dream again…", Neji mumbled in fear and confusion. He ran his fingers through his long, messy hair before he switched on the light next to him in order to calm down. It took him a few minutes.

He looked at the clock: It was only 4 AM in the morning.

_Well, that's better than the last few days!_

Neji had dreamed this particular nightmare since a week. Since the last time he had seen Tenten. There had never been a dream that felt so intense, real and significant. Usually Neji was a guy who didn't accredit too much meaning to random dreams. But he could not lose the feeling that this one was different. If the dream had a message or a meaning, Neji had no idea what it was.

 _Maybe Tenten is in danger?_ In his current weak condition, Neji would not be a good protector.

…Not that Tenten needed one. She was very strong herself. But Neji had the WILL to protect her, because she was very dear to him. This will had been very strong for years. For example this incident at their second chunin exams in Suna:

The participants of the chunin exams had all gathered in the dining room. Instead of eating their meal, almost everyone was attacking each other. A fight broke out for silly reasons. Tenten told them to stop. As a reply, she only got Kunais thrown at her. Of course Tenten could have handled it all by herself, for example by simply dodging - But Neji was quicker and saved her. Because he WANTED to. It felt good to be the man who protected her. So Neji did stuff like this from time to time.

Maybe, this dream was just nonsense. It only reflected his fears: His fear of losing Tenten and his fear to remain in a weak condition in which his body was in right now.

  _I feel so useless. If Tenten is really in danger, I won't be a big help. I should start training again today!_

Neji switched off the lights and tried to sleep again. It didn't work. His thoughts were hunting him. Especially Tenten. He just couldn't stop thinking about her.

_That damn kiss though…_

It was his first kiss and it had been the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced. It changed everything.

Since his 'death', he already knew that she was kind of more to him than his friend. That kiss confirmed it. His emotions went nuts. 

Neji and Tenten had a strong emotional bond for years, but he was not longer only interested in her as a friend - Neji was interested in Tenten as a woman. She was not only a strong, brave and determined kunoichi, Tenten was a beautiful woman on the inside.

Well, and it was not long ago Neji realized that Tenten was also a beautiful woman on the outside. Tenten was not the type of girl who would always dress up like a lady and who would wear tons of makeup - her beauty was all natural. And Neji liked that.

 

 _Damn it! Everything about you draws me in, Tenten!_ He sighed.

 

 _…But what about her? How does she feel about me? After she had kissed me in that tent, she ran away and avoided me. She looked embarrassed. Maybe she realized that kissing me was a huge mistake. Since then, she barely comes to see me. She avoids me on purpose to signify that she regrets the kiss_. _There is no other explanation…_

The only time he saw her after the 'kiss-incident' was last week. She came to visit him along with Lee and Gai. Tenten barely said anything. She kinda hid behind Gai and Lee. Neji wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know how. It was so awkward. For the first time, he got really nervous and shy around her. 

 

Neji rubbed his eyes while thinking about the last encounter with her. _I'm not good enough for her anyway. Dealing with the Hyuuga issues would only be a pain for her. She is too pure for this insane family._

 

Neji slowly raised up. There was no way he could sleep again.

_Enough of this pathetic emo talk. I'm not called Sasuke Uchiha, but Neji Hyuuga. Time to train again!_

 

He started walking through the room and got himself ready for the day. Neji was glad that he was finally able to do this on his own again. Without any help. Walking was still a bit exhausting, but it would be fine. He was able to walk longer routes from day to day. After having breakfast on his own, Neji went to the training yard of the house. It was 5 AM in the morning. No one was there. Neji's heart raced a beat before he started with his first training in months. He was a bit nervous, especially after that weird dream. Neji expected a lot from himself, so he felt some pressure.

He meditated for a few minutes before he started training. This would help him to not be led by pressure.

When he was ready, he commenced. Neji started off with some basic Taijutsu strikes. It was much more exhausting than usual, but it felt so good to train again. He did not notice how much he missed it until now.

After five minutes, he had to pause again.

_My stamina did suffer a lot. I should ask Gai to train me again. He is the perfect sensei for rebuilding stamina. Maybe he can spare some time for me._

Neji continued training.

 

_I have not used the Byakugan since the war. It needs training, too. So, here we go._

 

"Byakugan!"

 

…

 

_What the?_

 

"I said BYAKUGAN!"

 

Nothing happened.

 

Neji tried it once more:" **BYYYYYYYYY -AAAA A - KUUUUU - GAAAAAAN!** "

 

His eyes didn't change at all. Usually, the view would have changed. Through the Byakugan, he was for example able to see through things. But now, nothing changed at all.

 

_What the heck is going on???_

 

_…_

 

Suddenly, Neji had a clue: "OOOHH… Of course. DAMN IT!"

Everything inside him felt heavy from one moment to the other. He had to sit down in order to proccess the new realisation:

His Byakugan was sealed. That's the reason why he could not use it. Neji was only a side branch member of the Hyuuga clan. 

The consequence of this was getting a curse mark on his forehead, which had always been a burden. It had been the cage of his life. When he died, the curse mark died with him.

However, that had another consequence: Once a branch member of the Hyuuga clan died, the curse mark would not only disappear, but the Byakugan would be sealed away with it - Which means that it was useless. This had a good reason:

If somebody would steal the eye, he or she could not use it. It's secrets would never fall into the hands of the enemy.

 

"So, it seems like you are fit enough to train again, Neji"

 Neji lifted up his head. It was Hiashi Hyuuga, his uncle.

 

"That means you could start training Hinata again very soon. She'll be very happy about it"

Neji didn't reply. He barely listened. He didn't even look at Hiashi. He was just thinking about his sealed Byakugan.

_It is sealed. That means I can give up my beeing as shinobi. Why me?_

 

"Neji, are you listening at all?"

No reply. Neji was still in shock.

 

"Neji, don't be disrespectful! What on earth is wrong with you?"

Neji eventually looked at Hiashi and responded.

At first, he took off his headband. It was not his shinobi headband with the Konoha symbol, but a regular white headband. He usually wore it at home to cover up his curse mark. The curse mark was no longer there, but he still wore the headband by habit. While taking it off, he pointed at his forehead: "Do you notice anything, uncle?!"

Neji actually wanted to give Hiashi the time to respond. Instead, he continued talking because he got too angry to control it anymore:" IT is gone. It disappeared when I died. BUT now I can't use the Byakugan either. It is sealed."

"…You just noticed that now?" Hiashi asked.

Neji felt beeing punked:" What kind of response is that? Do you know what it means? I'll have to give up my beeing as a shinobi!"

"Neji…", Hiashi tried to calm him down, "Most shinobis in the world don't have Byakugan, but they are still great fighters."

 

_This is outrageous! Unacceptable! He pretends as if it's nothing!_

Neji wanted to rant at him, he wanted to offend the whole bloody Hyuuga system, but his high amount of self control won the fight against his emotions. He took a deep breath. While doing so, he got an idea how to solve the problem:

"That's it!" Neji got a little glimpse of hope.

"What are you talking about, Neji?"

"Uncle… Isn't it possible to break the seal? You put it on me along with the curse mark years ago…" Neji reminisced about this horrible event in his life for a few seconds before continuing: "Can you not break it, so I can use the Byakugan again?"

Hiashi sighed and frowned: "…I knew you were going to ask that. In theory, I think it would be possible…"

"…But what?", Neji asked.

"Look… Neji. As your uncle, I would like to try breaking it immediately. But things are not that easy." Hiashi gesticulated a bit too much while saying this as if it would help to convey his message.

"What exactly do you mean?" Neji asked, but he already knew the answer.

"I'm not only your uncle, but the head of the Hyuuga family. That means I have to think and act like that for the sake of the whole clan. Neji, this is not only about you. Your case never happened before. So everything is a bit difficult. If I broke the seal, there would be the question if you should get a new curse mark. You are still a branch member"

"You can't be serious. You know I would protect Hinata with or without the curse mark!"

"I know that, Neji. But that's not the only issue"

"So, what is it then?"

"If I broke the Byakugan seal without putting on a new curse mark - Which one part of me wants to do, you have to believe that, Neji! - Anyways, if I did that, this would be a completely new and unique situation. You'd be the first branch member without the mark. It would be unfair to the other branch members. In the worst case, this could lead up to a revolution in the familiy itself."

"You know my opinion about this system. This would be a great opportunity to change it and to free ALL of the branch members." Neji responded. _Maybe that was a bit too direct, but I don't care anymore!_

To Neji's surprise, Hiashi remained calm: "Neji. This is not as easy as you think. You have no clue about the possible consequences. However, I do understand your point of view"

"So… How would you suggest to solve this problem, uncle?"

"I will summon a gathering with the main house. This afternoon. I feel like I should not decide that on my own. I'll let you know what we decided right after"

"Thank you, uncle. Do you think… do you think I could join the gathering?"

"I think it's better if you don't. Please be patient, Neji."

Neji didn't want to hear this, but if he insisted more everyhing would going to be worse. So he pulled himself together and tried to act friendly:" I'm sorry, uncle. Thank you"

"I care for you Neji, just like I cared for your father. I'll see what I can do" With these words, Hiashi went off.

Neji stayed at the training grounds. He continued training. He just could not sit there and wait until the main family made a decision. This uncertainty in his mind and that suspense in his heart drove him crazy. Well, at least it distracted him a bit from Tenten… But only a bit. She was still on his mind. This whole situation proofed again that Neji just wasn't good enough for her. Not himself as a person - he knew that he was a fine guy - but his current bad circumstances in life made him not good enough for her. Her own family was already messed up - he didn't want to pull her into the mess of another family.

She deserved better. Furthermore, Hiashi would NEVER allow him to date a girl that was not a Hyuuga. Though this would not hinder him to date her anyway. He was tired of following those stupid Hyuuga rules. And he could never love a girl like he loved Tenten.

 _You fool! What are you even thinking?! As if Tenten would want to date you._ Having those thoughts, his training got a bit too intense now. After all, it was a good way to release his aggression.

_She avoids me for a reason. If I only knew why…. Maybe Lee knows more about it. I should ask him - of course without exposing my feelings!_

After two hours of training, he had to rest. It was a bit too much. He already felt dizzy and tired although it was still in the morning. He went to his room and fell asleep again. If he dreamed anything he couldn't remember. Thank God. It was the first time he didn't dream the same dream in days. He finally got some sleep. However, to Nejis surprise he slept until afternoon. When he slowly got up his whole body ached from training.

To kill some time, Neji went to the kitchen to eat something.

When he got back to his room, the sun was already going down.

_Hiashi hopefully comes soon… I cannot wait anymore_

At this very moment, Hiashi knocked at his door: "Neji, this is Hiashi. Can I come in?"

"Uncle. Finally. Come in, please"

Hiashi opened the door and entered Neji's room. He looked tired.

"The gathering has just finished. As promised, I came to you right after"

"Thank you" Neji got nervous. Hiashi's decision would make a huge impact on his lfe. _What is he going to say?_

"You know Neji, as I already said, things are not always easy."

"Please do not beat around the bush. How did it go? What have you decided? New curse mark or simply breaking the seal without a new mark?"

"None of these."

"What do you mean?"

"We had a very strong debate about it. I think we haven't debated that hard in years. It truly is a complicated situation."

"So?" _Just say it!_

"Neji…We haven't made a proper decision yet. Whatever we do, everything has consequences. Not good consequences for the Hyuuga clan. You might see this in a different way, but your opinion doesn't count in this case. I'm sorry"

Neji just stared at him in anger. He didn't know what to say.

To break the silence, Hiashi continued: "For now, we decided that it would be the best if we do nothing. You can still be a great shinobi without the Byakugan. Look, this is the perfect compromise. You don't get a new curse mark but in return your Byakugan remains sealed. It's the best for everybody"

Neji's anger reached it's limit. His voice got really loud now: "NO, it's the best for the stupid main family! Of course you only think about the bloody main familiy! The Byakugan is a significant part of me. You are stealing a part of my body! You have no right to do that. I will not accept this. Be sure that I'll find a way to change the freaking Hyuuga system! If father was still aliv-"

"STOP IT! Do you want me to brand you with a new curse mark?"

"See? The only thing YOU want is control!"

"You act like an ungrateful little boy. You better think about your disrespectful words. Today, I don't want to see or speak to you anymore, Neji! I expect an apology"

"Forget it!", Neji shouted back.

Hiashi left the room. Neji could not control his emotions anymore. He was furious about Hiashi, about the main family, about himself, just about everything. Without thinking twice he took his bag and packed it. He needed to leave. He couldn't bear staying in this toxic family for another minute. While packing, Neji heard another one knocking at his door. It's sound was much softer and quieter than Hiashi's.

"Who is it?" Neji asked in a very annoyed way.

"Neji… It's Hinata. I heard that father and you had an argument. You were loud… Is everything okay?" She did not come in.

Neji briefly paused. _What shall I do? I can't control myself at the moment. In my current emotional state, I would only offend her. I don't want to hurt Hinata. It's not her fault._

"Leave me alone", he simply responded.

"N-Neji, what happened?"

"Hinata, leave me alone. Ask your father about it. I need some time on my own. Respect that, please!"

"O-okay, sorry. Please let me know if you need anything"

As soon as she went away, Neji continued packing. He sneaked outside when he was finished.

Thank God nobody noticed him leaving the house.

_At least Hiashi didn't lock me inside my own room…_

As soon as he made it outside, he started running as fast as possible. Neji just had the urge to be far away from that house. He didn't know exactly where to go, he just went wherever his feet carried him. He avoided the main roads though. People were not suppose to see him. After a few minutes, he reached a place he believed had been an old training ground before the attack by Pain. He used to train there a lot with Tenten. That's why he liked the place a lot.

…Neji underestimated how exhausted he was. This running session was still too much for his weak condition. He slowed down his pace. There was a river near the training ground _. This is a good place for some meditation…_

He went towards the river and took off his bag before stopping right in front of the water. As soon as he stopped, he realized how physically demanding the running had been. He suddenly felt dizzy. His cardio-circulatory system seemed to be at rock bottom. _I need to rest instan-_

Before Neji was able to finish his thought, he passed out. He fell straight into the cold water of the river.


	8. I Want You To Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenten finds Neji in a miserable state.  
> Due to circumstances she has no choice but take him to her home.  
> The intensity of their feelings grows to a new level...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than the last ones, but also much more intense ^^  
> It was my favourite chapter to write so far.
> 
> ENJOY xx

Tenten had a very bad feeling. Something was seriously wrong.

_Neji…What the heck have you done? If something has happened to you I don't know what to do…_

Gai and Lee had a bad feeling as well.

"Hinata…", Gai started, "Did Neji mention whether he wanted to go anywhere? Like did he have an appointment you simply forgot about?" His face expression turned serious.

Tenten could see that Gai and Lee shared her bad feeling.

"No…", Hinata replied reflectively, "He had a horrible argument with father. He must have left without a single word…"

Lee responded with a deeply worried face: "This is bad. Really bad. Neji is not fully recovered yet. He could be anywhere. We can't leave him alone!"

"We need to search for him ASAP", Tenten demanded while already walking back, "Come on, guys!"

Hinata went after Tenten and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her: "Tenten-chan. Wait a second and calm down."

"Whyy?!" Tenten asked harshly. She didn't want to waste more time.

"Tenten. Listen. I spoke to Neji half an hour ago. He told me he wanted to be on his own. He probably just went for a walk and will be back soon. I know Neji really well…

Once he gets into a bad mood, it's the best to leave him alone"

 _SO, are you saying that I do NOT know Neji well?!_ Tenten got a bit annoyed now:

"Hinata, I really have a bad feeling. You can stay here, but I will search for him. Now. I don't care if he rants at me for disturbing him, I need to check if he is okay. Gai. Lee. Are you coming with me?"

"YES, let's go!" Both said simultaneously.

This was one example why Tenten liked and respected Lee and Gai from the bottom of her heart. Yes, they were annoying from time to time, but she couldn't think of any better teammates. That's what Team Gai was all about: Not only guts, youth, effort and strength, but also teamwork. Loyalty. Always beeing there for each other. Probably even dying for each other. Of course they would want to search for Neji. Team Gai was a family. The family Tenten never really had.

"Okay guys, please let me know when you find something out. If you are not back within an hour, I will join you. But I'm sure everything is okay. Neji's condition is not that bad anymore. He can take care of himself", Hinata shouted at Lee, Tenten and Gai, who were already running outside.

Tenten's bad feeling increased. _Where are you, Neji?_

"Okay guys, listen well", Gai said while closing the front door of the Hyuuga estate, "we should split up. We are now at the very west of Konohagakure. Lee, you'll go north and see if you can find Neji. Tenten, east!", Gai pointed at the directions while delegating, "…And I myself will head south. Understood?"

"Yes, Gai-Sensei!", Lee responed while clenching his fist. His eyes were wide opened, he looked very determined.

Tenten only nodded.

"Okay. GOOO!", Gai shouted. They quickly scattered.

Tenten ran towards east without knowing where to go. She wasn't really good at searching unlike Neji, Hinata, Kiba or Shino for example. But she was resolved to find him. Neji. _Where could he have gone?!_

There were still many people in the streets of Konoha. Tenten slowed down her pace. She didn't want to attract too much attention. And running without knowing where to go would not help anyway.

_Maybe anybody had seen him walking by?_

Tenten interrogated some random civilians if a young Hyuuga with long hair and white clothing had passed by. Everybody denied it. When she reached the "Ichiraku Ramen" restaurant, she even asked Mr. Teuchi and his daughter Ayame.

"You mean Neji Hyuuga, your friend?"

"Yes Mr. Teuchi. Have you seen him walking by? I'm searching for him"

"No, I'm sorry Tenten"

"If he is not keeping an appointment or at a friend's house right know… Think about his favourite places!", Ayame suggested.

"That's a good idea…" Tenten mumbled while contemplating.

_Favourite places… Neji likes spending time in the nature because it's ideal for meditation… If I were Neji, where would I go if I wanted some peace? We used to spent a lot of time at the old training ground no. 3. He liked that one a lot -_

"That must be it! Thank you Ayame, you're a genius!", Tenten exclaimed, "See ya!"

She quickly went on the streets again and left a confused Ayame behind.

Then, she started running again. She didn't care anymore if anyone was staring at her.

 _It must be training ground no. 3! And it is in the very east!_ Tenten ran faster and faster. Her gut feeling told her that Neji was not okay. Tenten reached it after a few minutes. It was dark, so she barey saw anything.

At the first glimpse, she saw nothing. After a few minutes, she went towards the river behind the training ground-

 _What the… There is something in the water._ Tenten got nearer. _Oh my gosh! Not something, but a human!_

Tenten ran to the body inside the water, which was shallow at this spot. Half of the body was covered in the river.

 _The clothes…The hair… Oh please don't!_ But there was no denial that this was Neji. Now she also saw a bag nearby. This was definitely his.

Tenten finally reached him. Now she could also see his face. Half of it was covered in the river as well. He looked miserable and above all he was unconscious if not dead.

"NEEJIII!", Tenten cried in a distraught way.

She slightly lifted up his body and pulled him out of the water. She was quite strong, so his weight was not a problem. As a man, his weight was not that much anyway.

She put him on the soft grass. At first, she checked if he was dead. His hands were far too cold!

 _His pulse rate is weak, but thank God he is alive!_ That was a huge relief. It took a load off her mind.

She grasped him by the shoulders and shook briskly.

"Wake up, Neji!", she shouted. He did not wake up.

_Damn it! He must have swallowed too much water._

She tilted Neji's head back and looked for breathing.

No breathing. She had to fight against her tears. _Damn it, I need to do CPR asap!_

Tenten started to push on his chest. After only five pushes, Neji eventually woke up. He coughed before he spat out water.

She embraced his body. _THANK YOU!!!_

"Neji, what the hell were you doing?!" She almost whispered it with a painful voice while stroking his shoulders, his hair, his cheeks.

He coughed again. "…Tenten?". Neji looked up at her with a tired smile, enjoying her embrace and her stroking.

"I'll better take you to the hospital" She stopped the stroking (much to the chagrin of Neji) and helped him to get up. He was not able to stand on his own for now, so she had to support him. Tenten took his bag and they started walking.

Neji collected himself: "No. I'm okay"

"What are you talking about? You almost died, you fool!"

He looked at her: "And you saved me. Thank you. The hospital is filled to overflowing anyway."

"That's not an excuse", she ranted at him while responding the eye contact.

"Tenten. Please believe me when I say I'm fine. No hospital needed! I just have to rest a little bit"

After another minute of arguing, Tenten eventually indulged and sighed: "All right. Then please take this blanket at least. You must be freezing!"

She summoned a blanket from her scroll and put it over him.

"Thank you, Tenten". He happily took it. He was indeed freezing,

"Shall I bring you home then?", She asked carefully.

A scowl darkened his face and his cold fingers curled into a fist as he remembered the reason why he left in the first place: "No. I prefer to NOT go home"

She already knew this answer, so it wasn't a surprise. "Neji", she started, "Lee, Gai and me wanted to visit you tonight, but you were not there. That's why we searched for you in the first place. I felt that something was wrong… Tell me what happened!"

"Wait, you felt it?" He sounded surprised.

This question made her insecure. She blushed: "…Yes, Neji, I felt that you were in danger. I'm sorry, I know it sounds stupid…"

He suppressed a giggle. _She is so adorable_!: "It doesn't sound stupid when you say it, Tenten"

This made her blush even more. "So, ehh….anyways…" _I need to switch the topic,_ Tenten thought, "Will you tell me what has happened?"

He got serious again and frowned. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" He knew that he could blindly trust her, but he hated it to burden her with his family issues.

"If you don't want me to drag you to the hospital, YES!"

"…Alright…" So he told her the whole story.

"…You know that I actually died. So my curse mark disappeard. But today, I just realized that my Byakugan is sealed, too. I can't use it anymore... Not at all…"

Tenten was in shock: "…N-Neji…. This is horrible…"

"I spoke to Hiashi about it. He is able to break the seal. But he and the main house don't want to do it without branding me with a new curse mark. Because I'm just a branch member. As a compromise they decided to do nothing. I don't get branded again, but my Byakugan remains sealed in return."

"I see… This is outrageous! How on earth can they do this? This is like stealing a part of your body"

"That's what I said…"

"…And this is the reason why you left so rapidly. I understand"

 _You always understand me, Tenten_ "Yes. I couldn't bear staying there for another minute. So I went to the old training ground to get some peace"

"…But I hope you didn't 'fall' into the water on purpose?"

"What? Do I look that desperate? No, don't worry. I guess I was just a bit exhausted"

"Yeah. 'A bit'. Don't ever do this again!" She teasingly pinched him.

"Ooooch! Okay okay. I promise, boss!"

She giggled. She stopped when she saw a familiar figure: "Look Neji, there is Lee. LEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Tenten?!" Lee turned around when he heard the familiar voice. When he saw Neji next to Tenten, he started running towards them, "NEEEEEEEEEEJI! I'm so happy we found you. Good job, Tenten!" Lee couldn't control his joy anymore, so he gave both Neji and Tenten a big hug at the same time.

"Lee. That's enough. Let go!", Neji demanded. Holding Lee at bay had always been impossible.

"You look horrible, Neji. Wait. Why does Tenten support you? Why do you need a blanket? What's wrong, Neji?"

"humph…"…Neji sighed. He felt really exhausted. He was too tired to tell the whole story again. And he wasn't ready to tell it to another person than Tenten yet. Lee was someone with whom Neji would usually not talk about his very personal issues. However, the Byakugan sealing was probably too important and obvious to not tell him. _Maybe I am going to tell him later_.

"So?", Lee asked. "We were worried. Hinata said you had an argument with you uncle. Is that why you ran off?"

"…Yes. I just needed some space. I am going to tell you the details later, though I'm not sure if you would understand them anyways… But now I just want to rest. Excuse me, Lee" Neji tried too act strong, but he could hardly stand on his feet anymore. He surely would have had collapsed again without Tenten's support. But a Neji Hyuuga would not show any weakness.

"What do you mean by 'I would not understand it anyways?' Now I'm even more pumped to hear the sto-"

Tenten interrupted him: "LEE! Give him a break. Be patient and let Neji rest at first"

Lee indulged: "…Alright. But you'll tell me! Let's bring you home then, Neji"

"No. I need some space from this family"

"…So where are we going to bring you then?"

"I ehh... " Neji didn't really think about that himself, "Initially I just wanted to stay outside…"

"Are you kidding? In your current state? Forget it!" Tenten would not leave him here. He was weak and it was freezing cold.

"Tenten is right! My home is not finished yet, otherwise you could have stayed with me… But I can ask Gai-Sensei if we can make space for you. Then we can have a real boys night out!"

"Hell, no!" Spending the night with Gai and Lee in Gai's tiny room was the last option Neji would have considered. Spending the nights with them at missions was usually super annoying.

"You are so mean, Neji!", Lee replied beeing offended.

While the boys were discussing why Neji would not spend the night with Lee and Gai, Tenten was lost in her thoughts.

 _I guess I have to take him to my place… I will not leave him here alone!  Though I don't know if I can do this… Our friendship is so weird right know… It is so tensed because I kissed him. I'm so stupid_! She looked at him thorougly. He looked frail. _His body is so cold… Neji tries to be cool and strong, but I know that he is feeling really bad right now.… Come on, don't be so selfish Tenten, Neji needs you! He would not want to stay at another friend tonight because he would not like to tell WHY he needed a place to oversleep in the first place._

_…And I'm sure nobody could take care of him as good as I can do… Because I love him._

"BOYS, stop arguing! Neji, I'll take you to my place. My parents are not at home so you can have my room. No back talk!"

Neji stopped arguing with Lee instantly. _WTF did she just say?! Just the thought of staying at hers ALONE without anyone else…_ Of course this would have been the perfect opportunity to talk about the kiss, but Neji didn't want to discuss this incident while beeing so ill and weak… On the other hand, this was just an excuse. He was scared of asking her about that kiss. This question was able to destroy their friendship. _Oh my… Is she serious? She is so different from time to time. At first she kisses me, then she avoids me and now she offers me to stay at hers? I'm confused._

"…Tenten?"

"… Remember when I was feeling bad and you took me to your home all those years ago? You cared for me. Of course I do the same for you, because I l-…", she almost said the 'L' word, "you are… im-important to me, Neji." It was really hard for her to look at him while saying this because she was blushing.

"…Tenten, I…" He did not know what to say.

Neji and Tenten both gazed at each other for a few seconds without saying anything. This intense eye contact revealed more than thousand words.

The only person who understood what was going on was Lee. He had shipped Neji and Tenten from the beginning. So now, he took the opportunity: "This is perfect! And now thinking about it, Gai-Sensei's room is probably too small for the three of us anyways… OOHH, speaking of Gai-Sensei, I need to tell him and Hinata that everything is okay. Now. Tenten, you take care of Neji. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a youthful niiiiight!" He ran off by walking on his hands.

"LEE, WAIT!", both Neji and Tenten shouted, both felt a bit too nervous to be left alone again. But Lee pretended as if he could not hear them anymore.

"Gosh, he is so intense", Tenten mumbled.

"Tenten..?"

"Neji?"

"I - eh.. I thank you. I accept your offer. You are really understanding, Tenten"

"I'd never let you down, Neji!"

He smiled at her, but he suddenly sneezed really bad. He could not keep up much longer. He felt kinda ill because he stayed in the cold water for too long.

"Bless you! You almost made it, we'll be there soon"

"I'm fine" His response was not really convincing because he was just about to fall down. Neji hated it to be weak, especially around her. This also reminded him of his weird and scary dream…

"You're lying, Neji"

"Whatever…" _Can she just stop this already?!_

Tenten did not reply. This discussion was useless.

After a few more minutes of walking in silence, they eventually reached Tenten's house.

"Here we are. You haven't seen my new home yet, right? I just finished everything today… Actually Shino and I. He was a huge help!" _Ahhh I'm talking too much. Why in the world did I tell him about Shino anyways_?!

"Shino?!", Neji mumbled inaudibly. He felt too weak to pelt her with questions _. Shino?! What the heck? I hope he is not the reason why she avoided me. Gosh, I need to find out what's going on… But I don't have the energy at the moment - I need to rest first._

Tenten did not notice Neji's insecurity. She guided him to her room, helped him sitting down and put his bag next to him: "This is my room, but tonight it will be yours. You even have your own bathroom. I'll stay at my parent's room. They are not at home, business trip, you know _?"_  Tenten got more and more nervous. Thinking about Neji sleeping in HER bed tonight drove her insane. _Thank God I just finished everything and cleaned up today. It would have been so embarrassing if Neji had seen my place beeing in total chaos!_

"Ehhh… Are you hungry, Neji?"

"No, thank you. I just want to get rid of these wet clothes and take a hot shower", he replied while already taking off his grey apron.

Tenten glared at him with widened eyes, she mustered him from top to bottom. _'Getting rid of his clothes… Neji taking a hot shower'_ Her mind equaled a mental cinema screen. She didn't want to imagine this, but her brain just projected those images without her permission.

Neji got confused due to her staring: "Tenten? What's wrong?"

She didn't listen because she was still in her daydream: "Oh yeah, very hot indeed…"

"Ehh, excuse me, what are you talking about?"

This pulled her back to reality _SHHHHHHHHIT did I just say this out loud?! What the heck, I need to stop imagining. I am NOT a pervert!_

"Ehhhh…. I meant the shower is hot. You know uhhh… the water is hot. I- uhh…", she avoided eye contact, "I better leave now. Call me if you need anything" _Gosh, this is so bad. I'm making a fool of myself!_

"Ehhh okay, thank you" Tenten ran out of the room too quickly and left a confused Neji behind.

…

After about one hour later, Tenten decided to go back to Neji to check if he needed anything. _I didn't even offer him a drink!_ So she got a glass of water and knocked at his door:"…Neji? Are you okay? Do you want a drink?"

No response.

 _Is it possible that he is already asleep?_ She slowly opened the door, but… _Neji is not here!_

She immediately got worried: "Nej _?!" Where is he? Maybe - wait!_

She distinctly heard a sound. It was the shower of the bathroom. _Is it really possible that he is still showering?!_

She knocked at the bathroom door:"Neji, are you alright?"

The only response she got was the sound of the water from the shower.

"Neji?"

"NEJIII!" She knocked endlessly.

She called him for another two minutes and got deeply worried.

"Okay Neji, if you don't reply, I will come in NOW!"

No reply.

"Alright. I have warned you. Three. Two. One…." *SMASH* A big noise clanged. Tenten kicked in the door.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH", she screamed out of surprise, embarrassment, attraction, confusion and fear: Neji lay in the shower. He passed out again. And he was…NAKED.

"OOHH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!"

Tenten tried not to peep, but she failed. _HOOOOOOOOOOOLYY TOOOLEEEEEEEEEEEEDOO!!! (Is it that big?)_

 _AAAAAAAAHHHHHH STOP THIS TENTEN!!!_ She felt so bad. _I'm so sorry Neji!_ She blushed immensely.

_What am I doing now? Maybe I should get Lee? I can't do this on my own! But then again I can't leave him alone for so long… I need to be strong now._

She first took a towel and threw it at his groin area. Otherwise it would have distracted her too much. _At least I'm never missing my target…_

Neji slowly woke up due to Tenten's screaming.

"…Uhhhmmm?"

"Neji? Are you alright?"

"T-Tenten? What…", it took him a moment to get to reality and to realize that he was in the shower. Naked, ", "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING HERE!? ARE YOU FUCKING MAD, GIRL?!?!?!?!" She never heard him yelling that loudly.

"I…"….Tenten fought against her tears because he shouted at her and because this whole situation was so embarrassing, "Y-you passed out again. The sh-shower. It was still on. I g-got worried…"

"And then you just kicked in the door?! And where does this towel come from? Did you..?! OH MY GOD!" He tried to get up, but dizziness occupied his head and he fell down again. He felt more ill than an hour ago.

"I'm so sorry, Neji!" Now her tears won over the will of fighting them. Her voice got sqeaky: "I got worried and I was right that something was wrong. You could have broken your neck, you idiot! You could have been dead! Should I have left you here? On the floor? Then I guess you don't need me anymore." She ran out of the bathroom with her overwhelmed emotions.

…She didn't want to cry. Heck, she wasn't even the type of girl who would burst into tears so easily. This situation was probably not the only reason for it, but rather the last straw that broke the camel's back: The last weeks were difficult enough. Thinking about him 24/7 and overanalysing his and her feelings, Neji being almost dead due drowning, him being at her home ALONE and ill, and now seeing him like THIS and him shouthing at her. Her nerves reached it's limit. She wasn't able to gulp back her tears anymore. 

"Tenten. WAIT!" Neji tried to get up again. This time it worked, although he felt really weak. Then he suddenly stopped moving: _AHH NOO I'm still naked! I'm glad that I brought my bag in here!_ He reached out his hand to his bag, got new boxers and put them on as quickly as possible.

Then, he called her again: "TENTEN!"

"What!?" She yelled harshly from the hallway.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you… You are right. Come back, PLEASE!"

"WHY?"

"…Because I…", admitting how weak he really felt was not easy for Neji, "I need your help. I- I feel miserable. I need YOU, Tenten! ..And ehhh… I wear boxers now, so it's okay"

That made her coming back. Tenten stayed at the doorframe of the bathroom in a reserved and uncomfortable way. She still had tears in her eyes: "Was that so hard to admit, Neji? That you need me?"

He sighed: "…Yes... And now please stop crying Tenten… I don't want to be the reason for your tears."

"I'm not crying", she shammed while hiding her face.  
"Now WHO is the one that's lying?!"

"Okay I am crying. Sorry…"

"Come to me"

"What? I..?!"

He opened his arms. "Please come to me, Tenten"

She reluctantly obeyed.

When she was near enough, he pulled her towards himself and embraced her tenderly. "Stop crying, dear. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me" he softly whispered. Tenten put her arms around his neck and huddled against his chest as close as possible.

The butterflies in her stomach became airplanes. Same for Neji. It felt so right. So secure. They both just realized how much they longed for each other. The sexual tension increased… His sweet words and his warm embrace made her cry even more. She didn't know why, she could not help it. Her crying had not really anything to do with him shouting at her. It was rather a consequence of releasing all the pain from the last weeks.

"Please forgive me, Tenten", he whispered again while stroking her opened hair.

She loosened the embrace a little bit to look at him.

They looked into each other's concerned eyes, both packed with emotions. Their eyes reflected the strong feelings for each other.

After about ten seconds, Tenten quitely replied:" I do, Neji"

Neji was relieved and smiled. He increased the stroking, moved his hands from her hair to her forehead, her cheeks, framing her face. _Now kiss her_! He apprached her again. There faces were only a few centimeters apart. They were still embracing each other. He broke the eye contact to look at her lips before gazing at her beautiful eyes again. They were both as red as tomatoes and nervous as heck. When he was just bold enough to make the final move, he suddenly fell down again before their lips could touch. _DAMN IT! Why now?_ Neji felt so weak and ill.

Tenten saved him from crashing into the floor by catching him.

"You rest. NOW!" She pulled Neji to the bed and helped him to lie down. He did not protest. Then, she offered him a glass of water: "Drink"

"Thank you". Instead of taking the glass completely, Neji put his hand on hers (the one that was holding the glass) and drank.

Tenten put her other hand on his cheek, then on his forehead: "You are extremely hot, Neji!... I mean.. You're temperature is hot. You've got a fever."

Neji didn't reply. He felt so tired, dizzy and exhausted. Now he could finally rest. He stopped drinking, put his head back to the pillow and fell asleep immediately. Tenten still had her hand on his forehead and stayed like this for a moment.

Then, she went back to the bathroom, got a wet facecloth and put it on his hot forehead. "You idiot", she mumbled in a deeply concerned way.

Shortly after, she reluctantly left the room to head to her parents' bedroom. She didn't want to leave him, but she needed some sleep herself. However, instead of sleeping she was just thinking about Neji and the last hours. There was no way she could fall asleep now.

…

Two hours passed, Tenten was still awake.

Suddenly, Neji was yelling desperately from the other room: "NOOO!!! TENTEEEEEN!!"

"Neji?!" Beeing concerned, Tenten got up immediately and ran into his room.

He was sitting on her bed. Shivering all over. His hands were placed on his knees, his eyes wide opened with a scared expression. He breathed fitfully.

Tenten did not hesitate. She raced to him as fast as possible and embraced his shoulders from behind.

"Neji, I'm here. Everything is okay. You just had a nightmare!" She stroked his arms. Neji did not calm down. He didn't get back to reality yet. The dream was still haunting him. It was the same dream as yesterday (and many nights before), but this time, it was even more intense. "You're in danger…I can't protect you..." he mumbled repetitively, still beeing in panic. He did not calm down. His whole body was tensed.

 _I'm in danger? He can't protect me? What does he mean?_ Tenten did not know what to say or what to do, but her body acted on its own, driven by deep concern, attraction and love:

She moved closer to him and pressed her chest against his back. Their legs touched. Simultaneously, she slowly swept her hands along his arms, under his triceps, along his torso and stopped there. Her heart raced like a rocket because of touching his bare skin. Although she thought _'What the heck am I doing!?'_ she did not stop. Instead, she put her head on his right shoulder and kissed his collarbone while comforting him: "Shhhh.... It was just a bad dream. I'm okay. I'm right here"

Neji in response - whilst gradually calming down - put his hands on hers and stroked them softly before taking them completely. He slowly navigated them to his chest and pressed her hands against it. Then, he leaned his head against hers. Her body contact made him calm down, but his heart would not stop racing like a Lamborghini. 

"Your heart is racing", Tenten noticed. She thought it was because of his nightmare. Ironically, her heart wasn't racing at any lesser extent.

 _Yeah, it's because of YOU. It must be because of you, Tenten._ _My heart is only racing like this when you are around._

"Please stay, Tenten", Neji demanded out of the blue.

She hesitated for a moment, but then she kissed his collarbone again in response: "Okay"

They stayed like this for some time, enjoying each others body contact, not saying anything.

Both considered to make the next move, but nobody did. They were too scared. Especially Tenten. Furthermore, Neji was still ill. Of course he wanted to kiss her so bad, but then again he didn't want to infect her - _I_ _f I haven't already done that! I'm acting recklessly, like a selfish idiot!_

So, nobody moved forward although they both wanted to.

After some time, still beeing in the same position, Tenten broke the silence: "Tell me about your dream"

"I have forgotten it", he lied. He didn't want to scare her.

Tenten doubted that he said the truth, but she didn't want to press him on telling her. She didn't want to risk another argument.

Instead she replied: "We should go to sleep again. You need to rest" And she needed sleep as well!

_I am resting right now. You are my rest, Tenten._

Tenten tried to move away from him as her brain told her to, intending to leave the room (though her heart said no to her brain), but Neji didn't let her go.

Before she could leave the bed, he grabbed her hand: "You said you'd stay"

 _WHAAAT? HE MEANT IT THAT WAY? STAYING THE WHOLE NIGHT? WTF?!_ But how in the world could she reject this compelling offer? It was her wish either.

"Lie down, Neji", she urged him while pushing him down.

He fought against her push. "Only if you stay, Tenten"

She finally indulged while stopping pushing him: "...I will"

He smiled contented. Suddenly, he was now the one who pushed her down along with himself. She yelped in surprise, but didn't protest.

When they lay down, Neji was the one who embraced her from behind. Then, he covered her and himself with the blanket.

 _Who would have thought that I could be so clingy_ , Neji thought with a satisfied smile.

He cuddled her and she happily let him. It felt so warm, so secure, so RIGHT to be in his arms. What a funny but beautiful feeling.

 _How can you feel so free although someone is embracing you?_ , were Tenten's last thoughts before she happily fell asleep in Neji's arms.

Neji softly kissed her head. "I love you Tenten", he declared before he fell asleep himself.


	9. Oh My Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shino and Kiba come over to tell Tenten they have a mission together.  
> In addition, there is a rather unpleasant encounter between Shino and Neji...  
> Both boys think they are the better choice for Tenten. It escalates...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY xx

The sunrays tickled her face. Birds were singing loudly and full of passion as if they'd run a competition of who got the most beautiful voice. Although they sang various melodies in different keys all at once, it still sounded like a harmonious choral to Tenten. And then there was HIS arm wrapped around her waist. This meant she didn't dream - last night really happened. She had never allowed a boy to come that near, but Neji's arm around her didn't feel awkward or strange. It felt….right. As if it belonged there. If this were a another boy next to her though, she would have broken all his bones. But Neji…

Tenten had already been awake for at least half an hour, but she refused to open her eyes. She wanted to dwell in the moment, forcing it to never end. So she listened to the birds' concert while her thoughts were running a marathon.

What the fuck did happen last night? What did Neji think of her? Tenten knew by now that she wanted more of him than friendship. Her feelings for him were like an overflowing fountain. Even now the butterflies inside her were running wild. But then again it was more than a feeling or a crush. They had a special bond.

 _But does Neji see it the same way?_   _Yesterday, he definitely behaved as if he saw more in me than a friend. His arm was the proof. But on the other hand, it was an exceptional situation. He almost drowned and became ill afterwards. He had high temperature, so maybe his fever swayed him to act like this..._ Tenten was stumped for an answer. But she had no idea how to deal with this situation. What could she do? Just asking him? _NEVER!_ Kissing him again out of nowhere? _HELL, NO!_

Neji interrupted her thoughts when he mumbled something indistinctly. _Is he awake?_ Tenten startled up in fear:

She instantly opened up her eyes before putting is arm away and getting up in a split second. The moment of dwelling was over. Tenten was too afraid of him waking up with her being next to him, in his arms. _What if his behaviour last night was really due to his fever and now he'd find it super strange to be that near to me without a reason? It would be embarrassingly awkward!_

Tenten stood next to the bed and looked at him.

False alarm: Neji was still sleeping. Tenten could not hold a giggle back because of the way he looked:

Half of the blanket lay down on the floor. Tenten didn't realize this when she was still in bed. Instead of her, Neji now wrapped his arms around a pillow. His hair was a total mess. It pointed towards all directions. It was everywhere. Half of his face was covered by it. His mouth was slightly opened. When he shifted his head, a strand of hair fell into his mouth. At this very moment, a fly landed on his nose. Neji shifted his head again, trying to shake it off. But it didn't work as the fly came back constantly. The always correct Hyuuga Neji looked hilarious… And cute as fuck.

For a moment she thought about taking a photo of this scene, but she eventually decided that it wasn't a good idea. If Neji found this out he would kill her. So instead, she took the blanket from the floor and covered him up with it again.

Tenten kneeled down and carefully put her hand on his forehead - his hot temperature was gone. _Thank God!_ She couldn't resist to keep her hand on Neji's forehead longer than needed. Then, she affectionately stroked the strands of hair out of his face. _How can a man be so beautiful?_ For a moment she was tempted to kiss him as she diminished the distance between their lips...

But suddenly the doorbell rang, much to the dismay of Tenten. She looked at the clock. 7 A.M _. Who the heck is this so early? Maybe I should just ignore it and pretend I'm still sleeping… or maybe pretending I'm not there at all!_

The doorbell rang again. And a third time. It resonated in an obtrusive way. Even Neji was creasing his face into a frown now.

 _Shit… Maybe it's important_. Tenten gave in. Kissing Neji in his sleep was probably her most stupid and cowardly idea anyway. She reluctantly put her hand away, silently left the room and went downstairs. She was still in her loose pyjama. Her opened and rumpled hair extended to the waist.

She took an annoyed breath before opening the door.

"What is it?", she mumbled without really looking at her counterpart.

"Good morning!" Kiba saluted her with a confident smile and the typical wild expression in his dark eyes.

"T-Tenten. We're sorry, did we wake you up?" Shino stared at her, feeling a bit abashed to see her in pyjama. He was definitely not half as confident as Kiba.

Now she finally looked at them in a confused way, not expecting those two at all: "Shino? Kiba?"

"And Akamaru!", Kiba added while pointing at his best friend. The dog barked in response and wagged his tail after hearing his name.

"Hello Akamaru!" Tenten stroked the dog's head. "So, what's the matter, boys?"

Shino raise to speak: "Hokage-sama assigned us for a mission. You, Kiba, Akamaru and me. With Kakashi-Sensei as leader. Sometimes Kiba, Akamaru and I go for a walk in the mornings. You know it's very good to go outside because the vitamin D...-"

"Anyways", Kiba interrupted him (Shino was used to that, so he only rolled his black eyes under his dark glasses) "We happened to be near the Hokage's office when Shizune informed me-"

"Us", Shino corrected him.

"Yeah. Anyways, she told me to get you guys..."

"US!" Shino corrected Kiba again with a harsh tone. Now Kiba was the one who rolled his eyes.

Shino continued, ignoring Kiba's reaction: "We shall meet there in one hour to get the details"

Tenten sighed. _Why today?!_ "Okay... I see… Did you already wake up Kakashi-Sensei?"

Kiba giggled.

"Yes", Shino replied, staying serious unlike his teammate. "I tell you, I have hardly ever seen a human being who acted so absent and dopey in the morning. It was awkward"

"No, it was hilarious!", Kiba claimed, "I actually wasn't sure if he was drunk or extremely tired. We later found out Kakashi-Sensei hardly got any sleep because he was out with some friends last night. Anyways, it took him a while to get up and open the door. He didn't even listen to us, forgot to close the door, got back to his bed in an extremely slowly pace and eventually lay down to sleep again." He bursted out into laughter while remembering it. "It was useless to wake him up again in a nice way. So we surprised him with a bucket full of cold water..."

This story made Tenten laugh as well. It was a funny imagination. Kiba was indeed a good storyteller.

Shino crossed his arms: "Heey, this was not funny! I hope I don't have to do this again. It was awkward or a drag as Shikamaru would say" 

Tenten continued laughing instead: "Poor Shino! I know a million infatuated women who would have died for waking up Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Me too!", Kiba confirmed.

Now Shino looked even more inconvenient than before: "What? Really? ...Are you one of those women, Tenten?!"

She giggled: "Heck no, he is one of our Senseis!" _Though it would be really funny to prank Kakashi-Sensei in the morning…_

She tried to be serious again: "Okay. Well then, I see you soon at the Hokage's office. Thanks for informing me guys"

"Wait Tenten!", Shino demanded before she could close the door again.

"What is it?"

Shino scratched his head: "I ehhh..."

"Go for it", Kiba encouraged him.

Shino tried it again: "...I've got something for you, Tenten"

"Hmm?" Tenten had just noticed that he was holding a plant in his hands.

Shino responded to her confused look, feeling a bit insecure: "This is a Corn Plant, also known as dracaena fragans massangeana. Yesterday while furnishing your home... - you remember, right?"

She nodded and smiled.

Shino raised his voice again, his insecurity gradually faded: "I realized you don't have a single plant in your room… So I thought… Well I hope you like this one!"

She looked at the plant again, being a bit surprised: "Wow ehhm… thank you, it's pretty"

Tenten didn't expect this gesture, but she was sincerely grateful. A plant was missing indeed.

Shino continued, now being more confident after hearing her positive reaction: "It's not only pretty: The dracaena fragans removes a considerable amount of toxins from the environment, such as Benzene, Formaldehyde, Xylene and Tolune. It's also easy to take care of, but I'm happy to help if you have any problems"

 _Benze- what?! Man, I feel kinda stupid_ "...Okay, thank you Shino. Just put it…"

"Let me take it into your room, it's heavy", Shino suggested.

"...Thank you, but I think I can handle it" Tenten hated it to be treated like a weak girl.

Kiba joined in again, trying to help his friend: "Shino is just being nice, why don't you accept his help?"..."By the way", he added before giving Tenten a chance to answer, "Can I use your toilet?"

Tenten ignored the first question: "Um.. Sure, it's the second door on the right" She pointed at it.

At this moment Akamaru brushed Tenten, demanding some attention. She stroked him in response: "Yeah, you're a good boy..."

Kiba didn't wait any longer. His bladder needed relief immediately. "Thanks. Akamaru seems to like you!" While going inside, Kiba grabbed Shino's arm and dragged his friend behind himself.

"What are you doing?", Shino asked in surprise and irritation.

"Be a gentleman and bring the green stuff to its place. You're making a fool of yourself if you keep standing there like a stiff idiot"

Shino reluctantly obeyed, not really knowing what to do: "Okay. Though I'm not sure if-"

Kiba physically pushed him a bit and whispered: "GO, don't be shy. Girls like guys who take actions. I see you in a minute"

Tenten was distracted by Akamaru. She kept talking to him and didn't stop the stroking which Akamaru enjoyed.

The result was that she didn't really listen to Kiba and Shino.

After a few seconds, she eventually noticed that Kiba wasn't the only one who was missing. Tenten looked up and turned around... She just saw Shino opening the door to her room. He entered it with the plant in his hands. The door closed itself again.

_Damn it, I told him I could do it myself!_

Suddenly, Tenten stopped stroking Akamaru. She put her head into her hands instead since another thing popped up in her mind she had forgotten about over the last five minutes _: Neji. FUCK!_

* * *

 

Neji slowly woke up after dreaming about kissing Tenten. The bright sunrays which shone on his face promised that it was going to be one of the last warm days of the year. However, it wasn't the sunrays' tickle which woke him up, but the tickle of a very annoying fly on his face. And there was something else... A rather obtrusive, bell-like sound. It gradually drew him out of his sweet dreams. He wasn't exactly sure what sound it was, he just knew that he hated it. Neji was a bit confused at first after he had opened up his bright, lavender eyes: He didn't wake up in his own bed. It took him a few seconds to realize what had happened yesterday. The realization of his Byakugan sealing, the fight with his uncle, leaving headlong the Hyuuga estate and so forth... His mind eventually turned clear only to get irritated again: Neji thought he remembered falling asleep with Tenten in his arms. He recalled she came to him when he woke up in the middle of the night - After having that nightmare again... But now he was only holding a pillow instead. _Was it only another dream?_ He wasn't sure at the moment. He felt ill last night and tended to be a bit clingy, so maybe he was only hallucinating. On the other hand, he had never slept so well in his life the way he did in the last hours _._ Furthermore, there was this distinct memory of being so close to Tenten...  Feeling her warm body against his, holding each other tight, the nice smell of her hair... _(I wonder what shampoo she uses..._ ) When she was with him his heart was beating fast and even now it started racing again just because he reminisced about being close to her last night...

 _No, it was definitely real..._ Neji smirked while thinking about it. More memories came to his mind. The fact that she saw him the way God had created him was pretty embarrassing and awkward. For both. But what's done is done and he couldn't change it anymore. And it wouldn't hinder him to take a further step forward. 

Neji finally rose up, but remained sitting on the bed. His hot temperature disappeared, he was feeling much better.

He looked around. _Where is Tenten?_

It was time to get real now. Neji knew that he wanted her by now. Only her. He knew he loved Tenten. It was time to find out how she felt about him. _I mean come on, she kissed me! This has to mean something, right?_ He didn't really know how to ask Tenten about it, how to start the conversation, but he would find a way. Even if he was scared as fuck when he thought of talking about his deepest feelings and desires...

Suddenly the door got opened without a knock.

A young man, covered up in a long green coat and dark glasses entered the room. He was carrying a plant.

...Both guys stared at each other in sheer disbelief. Bright eyes met dark glasses. Shino almost dropped the plant when he saw Neji sitting on Tenten's bed - only wearing boxers.

They were speaking at the same time: "Aburame???"  -  "Hyuuga???"

Neji got up to stand on his feet. He didn't want to sit when Shino was standing. Meanwhile, Shino put down the plant before he'd actually drop it. Neji observed Shino sharply. He remembered Tenten telling him that Shino helped her furnishing the house. _'Shino was a huge help'._ Tenten did avoid Neji over the last weeks, so what if Shino was the reason? _And now Shino is here again? Why? Is that a coincidence?_ Hundreds of scenarios came to his mind. Jealousy attacked his heart.

"What do you think you are doing here?" Neji eventually asked. He tried to sound expressionless, but his tone was too harh.

"...I could ask you the same. I have at least some clothes on"

 _He has a point. Damn it_. Neji ignored this comment though: "I asked you first. You just cannot enter random rooms without knocking at the door"

Shino sighed: "Sorry Neji, I had no idea Tenten wasn't alone. She let me in and -"

"Wait, Tenten did what? Didn't she mention me?"

"Nope... "

Awkward silence. Neji's confidence diminished. _Did she forget about me?_

Shino took this opportunity to ask his question: "Now it's my turn: What are you doing here, Neji? Being half naked on Tenten's bed?"

Neji screwed up his face to a saturnine look: "That's none of your business"

He already struggled to tell the whole situation to Lee, so there was no way he'd tell Shino about it. Sure, they were in the same group of friends, but they weren't close at all. Maybe not even friends.

...

That answer provoked Shino though. His eyes frowned under his glasses. He desperately wanted to know what was going on here. Was there something between Neji and Tenten that went beyond friendship? Neji obviously hid something and this whole situation was very suspicious to Shino. To get the information, he tried to provoke Neji back in a very subtle and smart way:

"This corn plant", he started while pointing at it, "It's a present for HER. She was very happy about it. That's why I entered in the first place"

"A present...?" Neji stared at it with a doubtful look. _What the heck? Am I overreacting or does it really mean anything?_

"Yeah. I helped Tenten furnishing her home and I thought this was missing..." Shino stayed incredibly professional and calm on the outside. His sunglasses also helped maintaining a cool look. They hid his angry and confused face. Shino liked Tenten. And now there was this guy who had been sitting on her bed. Only wearing boxers. Shino wasn't sure how long he was able to keep his cool attitude.

"Tenten told me...", Neji simply replied with a cold look.

"She did? We had a great time… We are actually going to have a date at the new salad bar soon. Any tips?"

 Neji only flashed his eyes on Shino in a sinister and jealous way. The words attacked him like a kunai. _A DATE?!?!_

He didn't say anything in return. It was a pathetic attempt to maintain his self-control. However, his glowering eyes exposed his angry and hurt emotions.

Shino got a bit intimidated by Neji's threatening look. But that would not hinder him to find out if there was anything going on between Neji and Tenten.

"I guess that's a no?"

"NO"

Shino avoided Neji's look. "I guess I should get some water for the plant", he mumbled.

He went to the bathroom (the one next to Tenten's room, not the one where Kiba was probably shitting) to get some water for the plant - and to collect himself. Meanwhile, Neji quickly took on his clothes.

"Well, I reckon you have even less knowledge than me on how to treat women… Kiba says you just got to practice", Shino said from the other room. He left the door open though hence they could continue their conversation.

"Whatever…" Neji was about to reach his limit. _So you consider Tenten as practice or what?!_

Shino came back with a bucket full of water and watered the plant with it. "…Ehm do you want me to tell you the perks of this plant? It's quite amazing actually!"

"...Not interested" _When does this guy finally leave? And where is Tenten anyway??_

Just like Neji, Shino reached his limit as well. For a moment he thought of watering Neji instead the plant. To cool down his arrogant face. But he eventually didn't have the guts to do that. At least Neji got some clothes on by now. Maybe it was time to get more direct:

"Of course you're not... You are obviously capable of leaving harsh comments again, so I guess you have recovered from your injury. You know, Tenten would have liked to listen to my thoughts though" Shino put down the empty bucket to focus on Neji again.

"Sure, maybe in your dreams...", Neji replied with a doubtful look and an ironical tone. This guy was seriously getting on his nerves. _He pretends Tenten is his best friend or whatever now. But I am! What the fuck is he thinking?!_

Shino got really angry now. Neji wasn't believing him and he behaved like an ignorant, haughty moron in his opinion. Shino wasn't sure if he could keep up his pokerface any longer: "Tenten is a great girl. She listens to me. That means she likes me a lot. You have no clue HOW well we are getting along."

Just like Shino, Neji was about to put down the pokerface. Jealousy took over. All his muscles were tensed. He slowly approached Shino: "Oooh I don't? Tell me then", Neji raised a hand to point at his counterpart before continuing, "Do you really think Tenten considers you as boyfriend material? Well, you are very wrong my friend"

Shino champed with rage: "I see we are now coming to the true point of this conversation"

"Indeed"

Shino adjusted his glasses before speaking again: "So, you like her too…"

"And I will not allow you to interfere", Neji threatened while clenching his fists.

Shino's suspicion was confirmed. But he would not give up yet: "I still don't know what you're doing here, but I guess YOU are NOT her boyfriend. Otherwise you already would have let me in on it or bragged about gaining her"

He was right. Neji was not Tenten's boyfriend. And it hurt when somebody said it out loud. But Shino's last words made him really furious. Neji's voice got louder and more aggressive when he raised it: "T E N T E N   I S   N O T   A   T R O P H Y!"

Shino sighed in annoyance:"...Yet we are competitors, you hypocrite. And I will win. I mean how long has Tenten been your teammate? How much time did you spend with her due to that fact? And you haven't managed it to take things forward over that long period of time?" Shino's voice got louder as well as he talked. He continued before Neji had the chance to interrupt him: "Ohhh and did I mention that as a Hyuuga you are suppose to marry another member of your clan? You will never get Tenten, just give her up"

Neji raged. _How dares he to be so rude?_ _Who would have thought Shino could be so loud once he gets angry?! He usually doesn't say much at all._

 _...He is right about that stupid Hyuuga rule though. But that won't hinder me to become hers. I will not indulge to this family anymore._ "Shut up, Aburame. You have no idea. Tenten and I have a very special bond you will NEVER understand and I will fight for her love"

Shino widened his black eyes: "LOVE? Do you even know what that means? All you are capable of his spreading negative energy with your arrogant, harsh character"

"You don't know me"

"Well, I DO know that I have never liked you, Hyuuga, even if we are in the same group of friends. I can admit this now since we are already speaking so frankly. I still remember how terribly you treated your cousin Hinata, who is not only my teammate, but my friend. Heck, you almost killed her! I have never forgiven you for that, nor do I believe that you've changed since then"

Bringing up Hinata and his past was a step too far for Neji. That was a significant sore spot. He would always feel guilty about his past behaviour towards his cousin... "You are crossing the line, Shino. I warn you..."

Shino slightly smirked: "Ohh, I got you, right? You know yourself that you are not good enough for Tenten. She is everything you are not. She deserves much better. Somebody like me"

"ENOUGH!", Neji yelled. It was as if Shino could read his mind. Neji reckoned indeed that he would never be good enough for Tenten. But Shino carried the matters too far. Neji approached Shino even more and took him by his collar. He pushed him against the wall in a very ungently way: "Tenten is my girl"

"Are you threatening me?" Shino asked while trying to free himself from Neji's grip.

"Apparently. You said yourself what a harsh person I am. So I would watch out if I were you" He tightened his grip.

To free himself Shino kicked Neji, who - in return - punched him in the guts. Shino responded with another punch…

Now they were fighting like little boys.

At this moment, Tenten pushed open the door and came in. "STOP IT!", she shouted.

 _I should have come in earlier…_ She thought that it would have been even more awkward if she did that. She hoped Shino would have come out quickly again. Then she would have apologized to Neji and that would be it. But she was wrong. Very wrong. When she heard them yelling at each other, she decided to come in and interfere.

"STOP IT!", Tenten shouted again. She tried to separate Neji and Shino. They didn't stop.

It was then that Kiba finally appeared. It was a surprise for him to see Neji out of nowhere, but it was even more alarming that he was in a fight with Shino: "What the heck is going on here, are you guys nuts!?"

"Kiba!", Tenten called.

Kiba immediately ran over to help Tenten. Together, they managed it to separate Neji and Shino with difficulty. But they eventually made it.

Kiba took Shino's arm with a firm grip: "We better leave now. I'm so sorry Tenten"

"Thank you Kiba…", Tenten responded while detaining Neji.

"I see you at 8 A.M. at the Hokage's office. Though I'm not sure if Shino can join us for our mission in his condition…"

"What mission?" Neji asked.

"…Kakashi-Sensei, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino and I have a mission together. That's why they came in the first place. Didn't Shino tell you?"

"...No, he did not", Neji said while scowling at Shino.

"This is not over yet, Hyuuga!", Shino claimed.

Kiba dragged him out of the house: "Cut it out! You'll calm down at first and tell me what came over you"

They eventually made it to the front door. "Sorry Tenten!", Kiba shouted before leaving the house.

* * *

 

 Once she had heard how the door got closed, Tenten stopped withholding Neji.

"Sit down", she commanded while going to the bathroom. She didn't look at him.

Neji obeyed. _She will kill me._

But instead of coming back with a murder weapon, Tenten was holding a first aid kit in her hands.

She sat down next to him, opened the kit and took out plasters, ointment, cotton rounds and disinfection spray.

Neji wasn't seriously injured, just a few scratches and bruises.

Tenten started treating a wound on his left cheek. He winced when he felt her touch.

"Stay still", she said flatly.

"Tenten…", he eventually started.

Now, she finally looked at him, though it was a look of reproach.

Neji reacted instantly: "I am so sorry. This should not have happened"

At first he thought she ignored him. She continued treating the scratch on his cheek without replying. When she put on a plaster though, Tenten finally spoke:

"What is THIS, Neji? What happened in the first place? Neither you nor Shino are the type of man who would loose the manners" She took a cotton round and treated his bursted lips with it. She did it very softly. Neji liked it. _Maybe I should get into more fights if Tenten treats my wounds afterwards…_ Of course he didn't say this out loud.

Instead, he tried to explain the incident after she was finished with treating his lips: "I know… It started off with an argument, but it gradually escalated. Escalated really bad"

"An argument about what? - Take off your shirt please, I need to check if you have any bruises there"

 _How the heck do I tell her?_ He took off his shirt. Just the imagination of her hands on his bare chest again… _Smoooth Neji, stay cool. Don't mess it up._

"Where were you actually? Why did you let him enter your room in the first place? Without warning anyone?"

Tenten opened the ointment: "Sorry, I was distracted. I didn't allow him to go into my room, he just went inside"

"I see…." _Ahhh so that's how it was. This Shino guy is more sly than I thought…_

Tenten put some ointment on her hands and hesitated for a second (Neji was too hot) before she finally applied it on Neji's bruised chest. Her movements were slow, soft and careful. For him, it was rather a bursting through his heart though. _Crap Crap Crap. Breathe Neji. Game face. You know she likes guys who can keep their cool._

...But in response to his "Game Face", Tenten only hit him.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Tenten flashed her hazel eyes at his: "You are obviously avoiding my question. What was the argument about?"

Neji sighed despisingly.

"Neji. Don't even try to bluff it out. And don't you dare lying to me"

_Umm hn errr shit. I can't tell her that I love her NOW. She has to leave soon. What the fuck do I do?! Smooth Neji, real smooth…_

"Neji…" Tenten continued treating his bruises, but now she did it in a much rougher way.

…And this actually helped to convey the message.

_Fuck. She gets really angry if I lie. I guess I have to stick to truth. Kinda. It's better I tell her than Shino._

"Okay, you won", he sighed again. He avoided looking at her, "The argument…It…It was about you, Tenten", he almost whispered it. But it was loud enough to be heard.

Tenten didn't believe what she was hearing:" WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" She took off her hands of him and dropped the ointment. Neji picked it up again and put it back into her hand. _STAY COOL AND DO NOT MESS IT UP._

"This guy… Shino told me he LIKES you". Neji emphasized the word "like" to make it clear what he meant.

Tenten stared into a void.. "Blimey… Lee was right"

Neji raised an eyebrow: "LEE?!" _What does he have do to with this? I definitely need to talk to him now._

Tenten was still in her thoughts. Neji carefully asked the next question: "…And what about you, Tenten? Do you like him back? He told me you two were gonna go on a date. Salad bar or something". Neji got more nervous. Her answer would be very significant.

Tenten only put her head into her hands: "OH. MY. GOD. That's what he said?"

"…Yeah".  _What do you mean by that, honey?_

"He got it TOTALLY wrong. I haven't even said yes to his invitation. I was just being nice to him and now he thinks I LIKE him - which I don't... Not in THAT way… Gosh I somehow have to make it clear to him and apologize… Poor guy". Tenten was speaking very quickly. Her head was still in her hands while she shook it in disbelief.

A huge weight fell off Neji's heart. He put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down: "It's not your fault, Tenten. This guy is simply dumb"

Suddenly, Tenten's body language changed. However, it was not due to Neji's touch, but due to a thought that came up to her mind. She raised her head up again, put Neji's hands away (much to his surprise) and looked at him doubtfully:

"Wait. Shino likes me. Okay. But that doesn't justify a fight. What exactly has been your part in that?"

_FUCK._

"T-This guy treats you like a trophy. It was disgusting. He was talking about you as if you were already his girlfriend. I just…You know… I just had to defend your honour".

"…My honour. Sure. You can tell this your hairdresser, but I know there is more. I can see it in your face…"

_FUUUCK she got me. There is no use in lying. She will notice instantly._

He looked at the clock. It was already half past seven.

"You are right again, Tenten… But please believe me when I say that it's a bit more complicated than you might think…" He pointed at the clock: "Look, it's already half past seven and this would take a bit longer to explain… I don't want you to be too late for your mission. You aren't even dressed up yet"

_Of course I could tell her now. I planned on telling her anyways. But you just can't declare your love in passing. Even I have a sense for romance… And Tenten deserves the most beautiful declaration of love ever. I need to prepare it well… I can't do it now…_

Tenten looked very confused, but she finally agreed: "Okay. But you will tell me when I'm back. You promise?"

"I promise", Neji replied with a firm voice.

Intense eye contact was in the air…

Neji eventually broke it: "I should leave now. You need to get ready"

He reluctantly got up and took his bag. Tenten also got up: "Where are you going now? Do you feel better at all?"

He turned around and smiled at her: "I'm fine. Thanks to you, Tenten! I'm going to visit Gai and Lee. They expect me anyways"

"...What about your uncle?" 

His smile faded. "I have no idea"

"Don't give up. You know I'll support you no matter what", Tenten promised. That made Neji smile again. He knew he could always count on her.

He looked at her longingly one more time. She looked beautiful in pyjama, even if it was a loose one which wasn't showing her curves. _And that long, rumpled hair though… My God is Tenten gorgeous. She is like a force of magic that surrounds me…_

Neji couldn't resist but approaching her one last time. He took her into his arms and embraced her tightly. "Thank you, Tenten. Take care", he whispered. Before Tenten had the chance to reply anything, Neji quickly loosed the hug and left. He knew if he stayed any longer, he'd do a stupidity like kissing her out of the blue.


	10. Neji's Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neji wants to move things forward. Was it a good idea to ask Lee for help?  
> Meanwhile, Tenten's parents want to wrap up a deal with an old, presumed dead acquaintance, whom we all love or hate...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy xx

"This will be risky. Are you sure this is gonna work, Akira?", Tenten's dad asked his wife.

"Do you want to cop out? You are as weak as always, Moriya…", she muttered while checking her red polished fingernails.

They were already traveling for weeks. Officially, Tenten's parents were on another 'business trip', gaining new trading partners after the war. However, that was only a preface. They already finished their official trip a week ago. Since then, they were searching for an old acquaintance regarding a 'special deal'. A friend in Kirigakure told them HE was spotted near Yugakure.   

"Of course I won't cop out! We could gain a lot of money if our plan works out!", Moriya proclaimed.

"Shhh don't be so loud!", she warned him.

…

Both of them were as different as day and night. Akira was a beauty. She was a tall and slim woman with sharp features. The first thing one would notice were her intimidating green eyes. Her long black hair was usually put up to a complicated bun. She was a very confident, intelligent and deceitful human being with a cold and rational expression. Moriya in comparison was a rather small and chubby man. He had brown eyes and brown hair, though there was not much hair left on his head. He was insecure, clumsy and tended to loose his nerves too quickly. However, he was not stupid. He knew a lot about economics and how to make money. And that last aspect, the love for money, was a feature that was shared by both. Another thing Tenten's parents had in common was their interest in history and old fancy curiosities.

Both of them also neglected Tenten tremendously throughout her life. For them, making a lot of money was more important than anything else. They had never been happy with Tenten's decision to become a kunoichi, so they didn't support her at all.

…

Moriya was in a nervous condition. He could not stop talking: "Do you really think the rumours are true…? I mean that HE is alive? How is that even possible? If it's true, why didn't any Nara notice his escape?"

Akira sighed. She was really annoyed by her husband's questions: "I do not know Moriya, but we will find out soon. Our friend Kakuzu has left a lot of money after his death, but he hid it well. This deal might be our last chance to find it. We have to try at least"

…

Tenten's parents had a lot of business partners. One of them had been Kakuzu of the Akatsuki. Of course nobody of the hidden leaf knew that - not even Tenten - otherwise they probably would have been banned. They had not intended to support the Akatsuki, their affairs with Kakuzu had nothing to do with politics. It was all private. Moriya and Akira were dealers in antiques. Kakuzu loved reading old and rare books, books that Akira and Moriya had in store. They were known for being the best antiques dealers far and wide, they knew how and where to get all that rare stuff. Even a criminal like Kakuzu wanted to support that business. So instead of stealing, he actually used to pay them. Sometimes Kakuzu was searching for a very special book, so he asked them to get it for him. Akira and Moriya had never disappointed him. They actually got along with the Akatsuki member, they were even mourning his death. In the course of time when Tenten's parents got to know him, they discovered Kakuzu was not only rich, but that he also hid most of his precious money in a safe place. However, Kakuzu had never told them where that was.

…

"It's such a shame we haven't found Kakuzu's money yet! Every effort was in vain so far!", Moriya complained.

"Our patience will pay off", Akira replied while still checking her fingernails, "If somebody knows where it's hidden, it will be HIM. And we have something great in return, he will love it. I mean as far as I am concerned he is not interested in money anyways. He won't reject our deal"

"But w-what if he wants to kill us off? You know his weird religion, it makes him strong, invincible. I don't want to be sacrificed to his scary God. I'm sure he only didn't attack us in the past because Kakuzu didn't allow him to. We wouldn't have a chance if he tried to kill us". Moriya got nervous. He was sweating.

Akira on the other hand didn't show any emotions: "…That's why you'll be quiet, Moriya. I'll do the negotiating. You know dear, a religion can also be a weakness, we can use it for our advantage. Furthermore, he is stupider than Tenten's weird friend Lee. We might not be strong, but we are intelligent. That is our strength. I know how to deal with that guy. You'll see, we'll be rich soon!"

Moriya wasn't convinced: "I don't know. This guy has always been a loose cannon. We almost reached Yugakure. Maybe he is not there anymore, or maybe he's never been there in the first place. I want to go home. Hopefully our useless daughter managed to finish the rebuilding of our house"

"Shhh! The only one who is useless right now is you, Moriya! If you won't shut up, I'll make sure you WILL end up as Lord Jashin's sacrifice. I know Hidan would not object if I suggested this to him"

 

* * *

 

  **TIME SKIP OF ONE WEEK**

* * *

 

 

"Could you pass me the hammer, please?", Neji asked his youthful teammate.

"Here you go! Thanks for helping me again, Neji!", Lee replied while handing him the tool.

They were working on Lee's home. Thanks to Neji's help, Lee's room was almost done: They painted the walls in purple and carpeted the floor in a gaudy green. The wardrobe and a pinboard were on the left side of the room. A red armchair and a little table stood in the middle of Lee's little palace, not far away from the green TV. Dumb bells and barbells were scattered all over. They put a big mirror and a shelf in the right corner. Lee's bed also stood on the right side of the room. The only thing that was missing was some decoration. At the moment, Neji was about to mount a huge picture of a nice-guy-posing "Gai-Senseiiii" above Lee's bed.

Neji frowned while viewing the image: "You really want me to put THIS above your bed?"

Lee was busy finding the perfect spot for his Team Gai group photo while replying: "Sure, Neji. This beautiful picture of Gai-Sensei motivates me to even train in my dreams!"

"Ridiculous…"

The last week had been rather troublesome for Neji. He tried to speak to Hiashi again, asking him to change his opinion on the Byakugan sealing, but his uncle did not indulge. Instead, he demanded Neji to apologize again. Neji did apologize for shouting at his uncle, but he did not apologize for keeping his opinion about the Hyuuga system. However, Neji moved back to the estate of his family to prevent more trouble. Hiashi on the other hand avoided his nephew. He knew that another conversation would only escalate. The head of the Hyuuga was convinced only time would help Neji to accept his fate, so he ignored him. He kept an eye on Neji though, controlling if he was doing anything that would jeopardize the clan.

Neji spent his week with mainly three activities: Sitting in the library to research into breaking seals yourself (though nothing worked on his sealed Byakugan), training with Gai to get fit again and helping Lee with his room. He still needed pauses in order to prevent collapsing again, but he felt better and stronger every day. Neji informed his teammates about his sealed Byakugan, though it took him some effort and time to explain it to them. In turn, Lee and Gai assured their support. He wouldn't show it too much, but Neji was very grateful to have them around. However, there was a topic Neji kept secret from his friends: Tenten. He considered telling them about his feelings, but never made it. He missed Tenten and thought of her all the time. Not only because Neji was madly in love with her, but because he was worried. Her current mission already took long, what if anything happened to her? Neji usually wouldn't get worried that quickly, but this case was different. He kept having the same nightmare about that guy with the scythe who captured Tenten. And he, Neji, was too weak to help her. _I need to intensify my training…_

 

"Hello? Neji?", Lee interrupted Neji's thoughts while waving at him, "Are you even listening to me?"

"W-what?" Neji almost dropped the hammer.

Lee approached his friend: "I asked you a question, Neji. Isn't there a picture above your bed either?"

"What kind of stupid question is that…?", Neji mumbled. He took a nail and started to hammer it into the wall before hanging up the picture of Gai.

"Well, I recall there is a picture of you and TENTEN above your bed. I took it last Christmas. You know, the one where you are smiling at her…", Lee provoked.

Neji tried to keep it cool and avoided looking at Lee, but his heart skipped a beat when his friend mentioned Tenten: "…So?"

"…You call me ridiculous for having a picture above my bed. A picture of a person who is really dear to me. But you do the same! That's called hypocrisy, Neji"

Neji gave in and and looked at him: "Sorry, Lee. I didn't mean it"

Lee's angry face turned into a smirking one: "So… you finally admit it?"

"…Admit what?" Neji got nervous. He knew exactly what Lee meant. He quickly went towards the armchair to dust it down. Not that there was any dust on the armchair, he just wanted to evade Lee's question. He pretended he was busy with doing just ANYTHING.

Lee had enough of this. He wasn't really a bright head, but he noticed when somebody was in love. And Neji clearly was. Lee instantly understood that Neji was avoiding his questions. He couldn't comprehend why both Neji and Tenten had so many difficulties with admitting their feelings. Was their fear bigger than their love? Lee decided it was time to be more direct:

"… Admitting that Tenten is really dear to you, Neji"

…

Neji gulped. _FUCK_. _He really got me._ He tried to keep it cool: "…Of course she is. Tenten is our teammate. Anyways, what do you want for lunch?"

Lee bursted into laughter: "Neji, you are soooo obvious. Switching the topic doesn't make it any better"

 _Damn it._ Neji gave up. There was no use in denying it anymore and he felt the urge to talk about it anyways.

He eventually sank into the red armchair and sighed before finally admitting it: "I love her, Lee… Beyond all measure"

Lee almost started cheering and dancing, but eventually decided that it was a bad idea. He knew Neji would stop open up if he started cheering. So instead, he tried to stay calm and sank to the floor across from Neji, but couldn't withhold a huge grin: "I know my friend. You have loved her for years, haven't you? When did you notice?"

Neji played with his hair, not knowing where to put his hands. He never really opened up to Lee. That was a weird situation to him. But he answered the question: "When I died. When she kissed me".

"WHHHAAAT TENTEN KISSED YOU?!" Lee couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mouth and eyes where wide opened.

"SHHHH!", Neji exhorted him. When Lee apologized, Neji continued and told him everything, though it took some time and patience. Lee had never heard Neji talking that much, but he appreciated it a lot. It showed that he trusted him. Team Gai was a family after all.

"…Do not worry. Why don't you simply tell her, Neji? I know Tenten loves you, too", Lee replied when Neji was finished.

Neji startled up in response, but before he could ask 'WHAT?' Lee continued, reading Neji's mind: "I-I mean she didn't tell me, but Tenten is even more obvious than you. For real. And come on, she kissed you. You should tell her before another Shino guy comes across. You'll be the cutest couple in Konoha and I'll organise your wedding!"

Neji ignored his teammate's last words: "Lee, it's not that easy! My family would never allow it. And I don't want to burden her with this crazy family"

"So, what are you going to do?", Lee asked while taking a dumbbell. 

"...I am selfish, Lee. I don't have a solution yet, but my love for her is stronger". Neji tightened his hair tie before continuing: "I already have decided to tell Tenten once she's back. …But I just don't know HOW! How do I prepare this?" He put his head into his hands.

Lee encouraged him: "Do not worry! That's why you have me! I know a lot about love! And we'll find a way to convince your family!"

"How on earth are you an expert in love? Sakura is still rejecting you". Neji eventually took a dumbbell too. Why not train while talking?

"I haven't given up yet!", Lee proclaimed.

"So, you have a new idea to win over her heart?", Neji asked with an arched eyebrow.

Lee blushed: "You know, I've secretly read Kakashi-Sensei's books…"

Neji was appalled: "You did WHAT?! Shame on you, Lee. I don't want any tips from those dirty books and you shouldn't either!"

Lee smirked: "You have no clue…". Another thought came into his mind: "I've got it! When I wooed Sakura the other day, Tenten herself tried to help me. She told me four rules to win a girls heart!… Well, I messed up the implementation, but maybe you'll do a better job"

Now Neji got curious: "What are these 'rules'?"

"Listen well: 1) Be naturally kind, 2) Keep her happy with presents, 3) Remain open and honest with your feelings, and 4) take charge every now and then. That's what a really cool guy does!"* Lee blinked and literally gave Neji his thumbs up.

Neji thought about it for a while before replying: "…So when I confess my love to her, all I have to do is being open and honest?"

 

* * *

 

 

 _Finally home...finally some peace..._ Tenten thought while relaxing inside the hot springs of the hidden leaf. The hot water smoothed her skin.  _Man have I missed this..._

It was late afternoon. They had just come back from their mission and the first thing Tenten did was going to the hot springs. It was a divine feeling to get clean again after not only getting dirty but also receiving a lot of bruises and scratches. For Tenten this mission had been highly annoying. She was still in a bad mood. They were supposed to convoy a few noble peers to a special event. One of them was an arrogant prince who mocked Tenten all the time, claiming that women were not able to protect men.  _Well, at least he changed his mind when I saved his life from those rogue ninjas..._ They had been attacked several times which is why their mission took longer than expected. The third reason why the mission had been annoying and exhausting was Shino. Telling him that she wasn't interested in a romantic relationship was a very inconvenient thing to do. As soon as he accepted it he'd ignore her completely to keep up his pride. This was of course bad for their teamwork. However, the mission was over now and they came back. All Tenten wanted was some peace and time to refuel. 

When she went out, the sun was already gone.  _Time to go home..._ It would be a boring, but relaxing evening on her own. Tenten's parents were still in transit, she actually started to get a bit worried...

"...Is this the face you make when you come from the hot springs?", a familiar voice asked.

She startled up and turned around. She would have ignored it if anyone had said it, but she knew the voice was addressing her. It was HIS beautiful voice... 

"Neji!" Tenten's gloomy face turned into a big smile immediately. Of course Neji was on her mind every free minute. And now he was finally standing in front of her. He looked well. Recovered. Most of all, he smiled at her warmly, which made her heart melt.

"I knew I'd find you here, Tenten", he confessed.

He wore his casual white outfit with the gray apron. His long brown hair looked perfect - as always. The bruises and scratches in his face from his fight with Shino almost disappeared...  _Neji still owes me an explanation regarding that silly fight. Maybe I should ask- no, I better give him the chance to explain. If he won't do it now, I'll ask him tomorrow..._

While contemplating her actions, Tenten just stared at her favourite man and stopped dead in her tracks. Before awkward silence had the chance to occur, Neji quickly hugged her as he whispered in her ear: "I'm glad you're okay, Tenten. I was worried". 

That surprised her. It wasn't very Neji like to say hello like this. She loosened the hug and mustered him with a doubtful look: "You are worried? Why should I not be okay?"

Neji instantly blushed and looked at the floor while stammering: "I...ehh... you know... I just felt..."  _Yeah, 'just' be open and honest with your feelings,_ he thought,  _this takes more guts than I thought..._

To switch the topic, Neji suddenly produced a little white box from his pocket, which was decorated with a red ribbon: "I eh - I brought you some sweets, Tenten".

He passed the box to her. She reluctantly reached out her hands to take it while looking totally discombobulated.  _WTF?! Neji is acting weird..._

"...Thank you, but what is that for...?"

Neji collected himself again since his voice became more confident: "I met Kakashi not long ago. He didn't only tell me about your mission, but that you were feeling down. This is just a little gift to lift you up again I guess..."

Tenten stared at him in disbelief and blushed: "Neji… you are so _…" Wow. What a man._

When she took the box, Tenten touched Neji's hand by accident. Both felt an instant sting in their hearts. Neither of them let go though. Instead, (while both were still holding the box) Neji put his thumb on Tenten's knuckles and stroked them slowly: "…I'm so what?"

"You...I-I mean"…Tenten was searching for words: _Perfect? Incredible?_ _Amazingly sexy?_ "Y-You are so attentive", She let go of his hand to clear up the strong sexual tension before putting the box into her pocket, "Thank you, Neji…"

Neji smiled, though he was a bit disappointed Tenten let go of his hand. "Will you tell me what happened?...I mean why exactly are you feeling down, Tenten?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this? It will take a bit longer…"

"Yes, I want to hear everything. I'm sure you'll feel better after telling someone", Neji looked around, "But not here".

"What do you mean?"

Neji put his hand behind his head to scratch it because he was getting a bit nervous again: "…You know, lately we didn't have the chance to spend so much time together… S-so I was hoping you'd spend this evening with me hence we can… **talk** ".

Now Tenten was the one who got nervous… _Talk? What does he mean by that? Why did he emphasize ' **talk'** so keenly?_ A light dawned on her: _Oh my gosh. Neji probably wants to address that kiss weeks ago… Asking me whether I'm not right in the head… Mh but maybe he just wants to tell me what really happened between Shino and him… He promised to tell me once I'm back…_

Neji noticed her confused look: "…You don't want to?", he sighed as he thought he'd knew her answer, "Of course. You probably want to sleep after that long mission. I'm sorry, Tenten. I should have considered this". Neji hung his head in shame.

"NO!", Tenten objected as she put her hand on his arm, "You got that wrong, Neji. I would like to spend the evening with you… Where are we going?"

Neji was relieved. Tonight, he would confess his feelings to her. There was no turning back anymore. He knew it was the right decision. He smiled at her: "I've prepared something. You'll see…"

…

On their way, Tenten tried to get any information where they were going, but Neji would not tell her. Instead, he asked Tenten about her mission again and she told him everything. A few minutes later, he finally stopped.

"…The training grounds?", Tenten asked.

"Our fav one. Shall we?"

"…Sure". They walked in. "What are we doing here, Neji?"

Neji got very nervous now. How would Tenten react? Would she like picnic at campfire?

He put his hand on her shoulder, indicating to keep on walking: "Come and see"

As soon as he met Kakashi, Neji had the idea of planning this whole thing. Lee insisted to help him. Both friends started to set up everything together, but it didn't take long until Lee told Neji to leave: 'Neji, you still have to get the sweets! And you should take a shower and change clothes, yours are a bit dirty from furnishing! Ohh and look at your hair! Leave this to meeee!'

…And Neji did. Despite telling Lee to keep the campfire and decoration rather simple, his youthful friend did his own thing. Rock Lee took it to another level:

A multitude of torches stood around the actual campfire, which Lee arranged to a big heart. The torches themselves were connected with chains of lights. Two swans (made of stone), which formed their necks into a heart, stood in between each torch. The actual campfire, which Lee set up in a small pit of sand, was located in the middle of the heart of torches. The grass around it was covered with rose petals. Bales of straw lay behind the fire, they were covered with green pillows and pink blankets. There was not only food (Sushi and Dango) and tea on it, but also a sea of colourful flowers. The biggest eye-catcher, however, stood next to the bales of straw: A life-sized 'Gai-Sensei' statue, which was illumined in pink. Of course this statue was posing in the typical 'Nice-Guy' posture. But that was not the worst thing: The 'Gai-Sensei' statue was singing saccharine serenades - Loudspeakers were integrated into the statue, which played the terrible music with Gai's passionate voice.

…Neji and Tenten came closer. Eventually, they caught sight of Lee's 'rather simple' campfire (If he had more time, Lee would have decorated it even more).

…

Awkward silence.

For a moment, Neji and Tenten were petrified. They stared at the 'simple campfire' as they rubbed their eyes in disbelief…

Tenten was the first who got her voice back: "…Neji? What. Is. This?"

…

Neji clenched his fists and raged: "I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!!!"

He ran towards the campfire. _Why did I leave Lee alone with this?! What a huge mistake! He destroyed everything! I WILL KILL HIM!_

The first thing Neji did was breaking the embarrassing 'Gai-Sensei' statue: "Gentle fist. 8 trigrams 64 palms!"

…A few seconds later, he realized he was only punching it instead of using his gentle fist technique.

_DAMN IT! I forgot I cannot properly use it with a sealed Byakugan. DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!!_

This made him even more angry. His next targets were the swans.

Suddenly, Tenten bursted into laughter and cracked up. This made Neji stop. He looked at her in an irritated way: "What?!"

Tenten approached him while still laughing: "Lee?"

Neji crossed his arms and turned his head away, still feeling ashamed: "You can't leave him alone. I'll never accept his help again…"

Tenten sat down on the bales of straw, trying her best to remain serious: "It's okay, Neji. We shouldn't allow Lee to spoil our evening. Now come here before I'll eat the Sushi all by myself!"

"...Mh. Alright". Neji came and sat next to her: "You're right, Tenten. I'm sorry, please ignore all this stuff"

Tenten approached him a bit so that no one could have fit in between: "…No. I mean sure, Lee exaggerated it. As always. But the basic idea is…", Tenten blushed and grinned while staring at the fire, "It's really cute actually. Was it your idea, Neji?"

He was also staring at the fire. _'Cute'? What the heck is that supposed to mean?_  ..."I guess so", he simply replied.

Tenten turned her head and mustered him: _Neji looks very tensed. I feel like Lee's action is not the only reason. He's acting weird the whole time... Something is wrong… Does it have to do with his Byakugan sealing? Or with me? I need to find it out..._

To his surprise, Tenten took his hand: "Thank you, Neji. For all of this. You've already lifted me up. You… you are awesome, Neji"

Neji didn't reply and kept staring at the fire, which made Tenten a bit insecure. In fact, he was nervous, thinking about what to do next. Tenten misinterpreted that behaviour though. She let go of his hand: "Sorry. I should-"

"No", Neji finally replied while taking her hand back. He screwed up all his courage before looking at her as he continued: "Tenten. It might surprise you that I am saying something like this all of a sudden, but will you listen to my thoughts?"

She simply nodded. The look in his face was serious… intense... The grip of his hand was strong and tender at the same time.

He sighed: "The truth is… YOU are awesome, Tenten. I mean you are strong. Brave. Kind… Beautiful", with his other hand, Neji swept a strain of hair out of her face, "Tenten, thanks to you I'm alive. If I am a bird, you are literally my sky."

Tenten was in shock: "Neji, what are you saying?"

He put a finger on her lips: "Shh. Please listen and let me talk this time"

Tenten simply nodded again.

Neji continued, keeping eye contact: "When I died in the war, my spirit was floating above you all. I saw my corpse, Naruto, Hinata and everyone else. But you guys were not able to see or hear me. This took me some time to understand… Anyways, I was about to leave this world. But, then, I saw you Tenten… You said: 'Neji, why did you leave me? I'm never going to forgive you'. Those words killed me again, Tenten. From this moment on, I knew we were more than best friends"

Tenten fought against her tears. This was a horrible moment he was talking about. She tightened the grip of their hands. Neji continued:  
"On the other hand, it saved me though… When you said these words out loud… I decided I would NOT leave you. Seeing you like this hurt me so much, Tenten", his face turned into a painful expression, "I fought against death. And I won because of you, Tenten. I will never leave you, okay?"

Tenten didn't know what to say, what to do. His words had an incredible impact on her. She had no clue… Her heart was beating fast, she was shivering inside. Tenten tilted down her head to hide her tears, which were now running all over her cheeks. Did she cry because Neji seemed to reciprocated her feelings? He did, right? Or because of the story he had just told her? She didn't know. Probably both. _Be brave_ , she said to herself. She looked up into his eyes again, which were looking back at hers. In depth.

"Neji, I- I wanna be near to you. I will never leave you either!", Tenten confessed with a trembling voice.

Her words took a huge load off his mind and off his heart. He reacted instantly: Neji let go of Tenten's hand to take her on his lap, in a way they were facing each other. Meanwhile, she embraced his neck. In response, Neji took his arms around her back and pulled her closer, before placing his right hand on her cheek, stroking it softly. His left hand followed right after, so that Neji was holding Tenten's head. His thumbs slowly ran through her brown hair. The intense eye-contact between Neji and Tenten was electrifying. It carried all the immense sexual tension, which increased every second. As a result, their faces slowly approached…

"Please feel the chakra of my love right now, Tenten", Neji whispered before he pressed his lips on hers.


	11. Charade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiashi stops ignoring Neji. There is something he wants to talk about with his nephew...  
> Tenten and Neji enjoy their new love. They are fully aware of their problems though (The Hyuugas might not accept Tenten; Neji's sealed Byakugan), so they are trying to find a way to solve them...  
> Tenten's parents are going treasure hunting which has terrible consequences...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Hey! Thank you soo much for reading, commenting and leaving kudos! It means a lot to me ♥  
> I finally finished the next chapter. This one was hard to write for many reasons. I hope you enjoy xx

'SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS'…, the black teakettle whistled sharply inside the kitchen of the Hyuuga estate. Neji, who was still sleepy, poured some hot water into his cup. The tea would complete his breakfast which contained of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish and various side dishes: Tsukemono (Japanese pickles), Nori (dried seasoned seaweed), Natto (fermented soybeans), Kobachi (various vegetables), and a green salad. It looked yummy. Neji deliberately made too much food:

 _…I should pack up some breakfast for Tenten in case she didn't have breakfast…_ Sometimes Tenten would skip her breakfast which Neji didn't like.

It had been a week since Neji and Tenten confessed their affection to one another at the campfire. It didn't take long until Lee and Gai found out, but nobody else knew about their relationship. Both Neji and Tenten agreed it would be better to keep it a secret in the beginning. Especially because Neji's family probably would not approve. Tenten was just an ordinary girl, but no Hyuuga. Of course they knew this secretiveness could not be a permanent state, but for now it seemed to be the right decision.

This morning, Neji would meet up with Tenten to train, just like the other past days. However, it had been more of a make out training than an actual training. It was hard for the two new lovebirds to not literally 'keep in touch' the whole time. In public it was super hard to behave like normal friends…

 _I can't wait to see her_ , Neji thought while grinning like a little child who just got tons of presents for its birthday.

Suddenly, he realized he was already pouring water for a while and the kettle wasn't heavy at all anymore…. _Fuck_

Neji hesitated a moment before looking down: The table and the floor were full of water. He was lost in thought, which is why he forgot the kettle.

He took a cloth and started to clean up the mess _. Nothing can change my good mood today-_

_..._

"Let me get a servant to clean this up", a voice annotated unemotionally.

Neji knew the voice, but refused to look up.

_Uncle._

Neji continued cleaning while replying: "You mean another branch member?" _Is this what we are for you? Tools?_

Hiashi sighed: "You understood that in the wrong way. Again. I was just trying to help"

 _Then why don't you take a cloth yourself and help me cleaning?_ , Neji thought. For a second he pondered on saying this out loud, but decided it would be stupid. It would not lead to anything. Furthermore, Neji was almost finished with cleaning up anyways.

"It surprises me you talk to me again, uncle", Neji noted while wringing out the wet cloth. He eventually looked at his uncle who looked tired.

Hiashi sat down on a cushion next to the kitchen table. "Me too", he admitted. A slight smile appeared on his face: "I'm fed up with all the fighting, Neji, so I forgive you. I actually searched for you because there is something I want to talk about…."

Suddenly, Neji's heart was full of hope. _Did he change his mind about the sealed Byakugan !?!_

"My Byakugan? Did the elders agree to break the seal?" Neji tried his best to not sound too excited. But he was.

Hiashi looked confused for a second but collected himself very quickly again: "Sit down please. Let's have breakfast together. I'm sure all this food is enough for both of us. A talk is always better while enjoying a meal together!"

"This is actually…", Neji started feeling irritated, but Hiashi already took some food and began eating.

… _For my bae and me…,_ Neji finished his sentence in thought. Seemed like he'd have to get something for her on his way…

When Hiashi prompted his nephew to sit down again, Neji eventually did.

"So?", Neji asked again,  "Are you willing to break the seal? I was expec-"

"STOP", Hiashi interrupted with his eyes compressed and his fists clenched. He tried his best to not be angry, but one could see it was hard for him to keep his self-control. Hiashi breathed in to calm down before speaking again: "We are not talking about THIS topic. I came to you due to another concern… Something you'll be very excited of!"

Boom! Neji's hopes were crushed within a second. What a disappointment. His face expression got more irritated than before. He felt nothing good would come….

"Then please share your thoughts, uncle. I will listen to you", Neji replied with a bad feeling. He stared at the table, trying to keep cool.

Hiashi took some salad before he proceeded: "Neji. You are 18 years old and became a mature man… I'm very proud of you. I'm sure your father would think the same way. That's why you should aim for the next step…"

Neji looked at his uncle in a very doubtful way. _Proud of me?_ _Aim for the next step ?!?!?!?_

"Sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about… Could you be a bit more specific, please?"

Neji's bad feeling increased. He started to eat as well in order to distract from his obvious nervousness…

Suddenly, Hiashi bursted into laughter. He hardly ever did that.

_What the heck? Is he drunk?_

But Hiashi wasn't. He was totally sober. When he collected himself again, the man cleared things up:

"I'm sorry, but it's just too funny how clueless you are, Neji. What I mean is: It's time to choose a woman and to get married!"

Neji almost spit out his food: "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!" That was the least he expected.

Hiashi laughed: "The time is right. You are in the prime of your life. And there are A LOOOT of girls who fancy you. Have you not known this? You have free choice"

… Neji just stared at him in disbelief…

"…I guess that means you really didn't know how popular you are among the girls. I think I should teach you on how to woo a woman", Hiashi continued, feeling amused by Neji's discombobulated expression.

A few moments passed before Neji got his voice back: "…Y-You are really serious about this..."

"Yes", Hiashi assured.

"But when you say 'free choice', does that mean I can choose ANY girl?" ...Of course Neji thought about Tenten.

"…Yes. Any girl from the Hyuuga clan. It's obvious that anyone else would be beneath your dignity and a shame for our family. But I know this is not an issue since you are a proud man, right?"

Those words echoed inside Neji's head like a gong. It hurts like a dagger in his heart. He reckoned Hiashi would think about it that way, but actually hearing it was painful. He would never accept Tenten as the woman by his side. Not knowing what to answer, Neji evaded the rhetorical question: "I am too young. Sorry, but I think I am not ready for this…"

Hiashi patted his nephew's shoulder: "Oh, I'm sure you are! You are just afraid which is normal. I know there are a lot of people who would help you: Me, your aunt, Hinata… Maybe even your teammates! I already have three girls in my mind who would be very fitting indeed"

Neji got angry, but tried not to show it. He just shook his head: "Please respect that I don't want this right now". He carefully put Hiashi's hand away.

"My God, Neji…", Hiashi sighed, "Your second cousin Kou was also 18 when he got married. He is a happy man now"

"But I'm not Kou - I don't understand why this is such a big concern for you!", Neji objected while gesticulating.

Hiashi scratched his head whereas thinking about new arguments: "Look. I even allow you to take a girl from the main house! Do you know what that means? Your children could also become a part of the main house if all elders agree! You would be a good father. Furthermore, children are the best way to get rid of bitterness"

Neji just pecked at his food: "What do you mean?", he asked, now avoiding to look at his counterpart.

"…That you became bitter, Neji. There are some things we cannot change and you should know it. I know that Naruto changed your mind because he defeated you in the Chunin exams back then, but Naruto was wrong. He was never meant to be a loser. He not only defeated you because of the nine-tails chakra, but also because of his destiny. He is a reincarnation of Ashura Ootsutsuki after all, the son of Rikudou Sennin. He was DESTINED to beat you and DESTINED to win the war. You also have a destiny, Neji. Don't fight it. Accept the fact that you are a branch member. Accept the fact that your Byakugan remains sealed. Protesting against it all in vain, so stop hurting yourself"

...Neji boiled with rage...

"Starting a new family would be a good and healthy focus in your life. Maybe your destiny is to raise a child who will become a powerful shinobi that saves the world in the future, who knows", Hiashi continued while putting on an enforced smile on his face.

Neji stood up. He wanted to leave. Now. He was angry and disappointed. The worst thing was that Hiashi had a point though. He was right about Naruto's destiny. _…But he can't compare his life with mine!..._

Neji stared icily at his uncle while grabbing his bag: "For a moment. Just for one moment I thought you really wanted to do something for my sake. But I was wro-"

"It is for your sake, you silly boy", Hiashi interrupted him.

Neji ignored his comment and continued: "No. Let me finish, please. You only want me to find a 'fitting wife' in order to shift my focus in the hope that I would forget the Byakugan sealing. In the hope of accepting the Hyuuga system. But I will never accept it and I will find a way to break the seal. What you are doing is called 'manipulation', dear uncle"

Now Hiashi stood up, too: "How dare you? Mind your words, otherwise this will have serious consequences!"

Neji didn't care and ignored those empty words. He pointed his finger towards Hiashi: "You know what? There is a 'little' thing that you and most of the arrogant main house members have missed: A destiny is always created by a God, just like Naruto's destiny. However, the Hyuuga system is created by MEN and not by GODS. Therefore, it has nothing to do with a destiny. This is why I'll break free. If the Gods are on my side, your system will be destroyed"

With these words, Neji went off. He could still hear Hiashi cursing him, but he kept moving. He only wanted to get to Tenten as quickly as possible _. My Love…_

 

* * *

…When he arrived at the training grounds, Tenten was already there, throwing kunais at several targets: She always hit the mark. Neji was still amazed by her perfect precision. He watched her for a few seconds with a proud smile on his face before approaching her silently: He surprised her by embracing her from behind, putting his arms around her waist. Tenten in response startled up because she didn't expect this (Neji didn't say a thing, so this could have been anyone). She turned around very quickly while grabbing a kunai, being ready to stab. Neji was faster though: He dodged, but suddenly slipped on the grass before falling on his butt.

A stupid "Hi" was everything which escaped from his mouth.

…

Tenten teasingly scowled at him while shaking her head. At the same time, she swung her kunai: "You little bastard…"

She slowly approached Neji, until she stood above him. "You scared me to death", she grumbled without disrupting the intense eye contact.

"Are you going to kill me now?", Neji asked while looking up to her, trying to sound super scared.

Tenten slowly kneeled down across from him with a huge grin on her face: "I am afraid…", She put her hands on his chest, "I have…", She drew nearer until their noses almost touched, "No choice!"

She immediately pushed Neji down into the soft grass. He quickly grabbed Tenten by her waist though, with the result that both were falling down together. Tenten was now lying on Neji. They looked into each others eyes for a few seconds before  Neji tightened his grip around her waist. Then, he kissed her passionately which Tenten happily responded by slightly opening her mouth. Their tongues began a demanding and hasty dance.  

"I've missed ya tremendously", Neji muttered in between their kisses. Shortly after he rolled around to be on top.

Tenten did not object. She ran her fingers through Neji's hair (She was the only one who was allowed to do this).

 "So have I", she mumbled before caressing his neck.

Suddenly, Neji stood up out of the blue while taking her over his shoulders.

"AHHHH, what are you doing?!", Tenten yelped in excitement.

"It's too dangerous if we stay here. If anyone sees us like this we are going to have a huge problem... Let me escort you into the woods, my love", Neji explained, carrying her while rushing into the forest behind the training grounds.

...

Several minutes later, after having another make out session, Neji and Tenten lied next to each other on a little glade with full of flowers, which was somewhere in woods. Tenten put her head on Neji's chest, both were embracing and stroking each other, enjoying each others nearness and touch.

 _This could last forever,_ Neji thought while kissing Tenten's hair. _Lying beside you… In the midst of a glade full of flowers… Feeling your heartbeat with mine…_

"This could last forever", Tenten whispered sincerely.

Neji giggled: "I just had the same thought. You have no idea what your love means to me, Tenten…"

Tenten blushed. This was still unreal. Hyuuga Neji really loved her. Would she ever get used to this?

She kissed his hand to respond his affection. "You make me happy, Neji"

Now Neji was the one who blushed.  _Yes, this could last forever indeed..._

...

"Have you had breakfast today?", Neji asked her after a while.

"Yes. I know you don't like it when I skip it..."

"Indeed"

"It's getting cold... Autumn has arrived", Tenten noted, trying to switch the topic.

Neji held her tighter to keep her warm: "We need a place to meet in winter..."

"I thought about moving out anyways, so this problem will be solved", Tenten suggested.

Neji played with her hair which got opened during the last minutes of kissing.

"I'm so sorry, darling", he apologized, "I know it's not easy with me. All this terrible hiding... You deserve so much better"

Tenten lifted up her head to see his face: "Please stop blaming yourself. I love you, Neji. I chose you. We will master this situation together"

He smiled and kissed her again: "And I love you, babe"

Tenten enjoyed his kisses, his sweet words, his touch, his warmth and his love so much, but it was time to actually solve their problems.

"Any news about the sealed Byakugan? Have you maybe found any new evidences on how to break the seal?", she asked.

Neji sighed: "Unfortunately not. I just had another big fight with my uncle this morning instead"

He told her the whole story. Tenten was in shock.

"...I'm worried, Neji. What if Hiashi is going to harm you in some way? Even if we find a way to break the seal, Hiashi would never approve it. I can't bear the thought of him branding you with a new curse mark..."

Tenten stroked his forehead before kissing it (Both of them were not wearing their forehead protectors anymore).

Neji couldn't bear that thought either. He would rather not be able to use the Byakugan than getting branded with a new curse mark again.

"This shall never happen again", he agreed, "But that's not the only problem we have. You are in danger as well, Tenten"

She played with his hands while answering: "You mean I have a problem if your family finds out that I am your girlfriend, an ordinary girl who doesn't even have a last name?"

"...Not only this. There is something else I kept from you", Neji confessed hesitatingly.

Now Tenten got curious and nervous at the same time. She rose up from his chest again to look at him in a confused way. "What is it? Tell me"

Neji rose up, too. Now they were sitting across from each other. Neji took her hands again: "I've had the same dream for weeks. Well, nightmare actually. A creepy figure who looked like the Grim Reaper kidnapped you and I was too weak to save you. You were captured on the top of a tower which was full of skulls. I ran up the stairs, but I just couldn't reach you..."

Neji's words sent shivers down her spine. She got scared and one could see the fear in her face. The Grim Reaper was a sign for death. Tenten not only believed in fortune-telling, but also in prophetic revelations inside dreams.

When Neji registered her scared look he regretted telling her instantly. He took her into his arms: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you. It's probably just silly nonsense without any meaning anyways and we both know you would kick anyone's ass"

She shook her head and loosened the hug a bit in order to look at him: "No, Neji. This could be a serious warning, especially because you dream the same thing so often. I'm glad you told me. Our situation is insoluble if we don't change anything. Maybe we should leave Konohagakure for a while..."

Neji thought about this for a moment. "I think you might be right, Tenten. We'd only need a good excuse for our departure if we don't want to end up as Nukenins... But sometimes there are long term missions which are far away"

"We'd be away from your family for a while... And there are also sealing experts out there, so there is a chance we might find somebody who could help you breaking the sealed Byakugan", Tenten added.

Neji smiled. "So it's decided! Let's talk to the Hokage as soon as possible and ask for a long term mission faaar away. But before this we should inform our teammates. Maybe they want to join us. Sure, they would be annoying, but it's definitely safer if they come with us"

Tenten smiled back. Her hazel eyes sparkled: "You're right! Tsunande-sama will probably ask WHY we want to leave. I admire her a lot, but it will be risky if we tell her the truth. It won't be suspicious though if we want to leave as a whole team for whatever reason"

"Then we talk to Gai and Lee first when they get home from their current mission. They might decline though, but we will find another solution if they do so", Neji contemplated.

"Sounds like a plan!", Tenten exclaimed. She was about to kiss him again, but Neji suddenly got up. She looked at him in a confused way. Neji in response reached out his hand to pick her up: "First training, then kissing", he ordered, although he wished he could skip the training part.

 

* * *

 

Tenten's parents - Akira and Moriya - were hiding in the woods near Yugakure. It was raining and they were wet all over. The last days were really annoying for Akira. Moriya constantly complained about every little thing. And he was scared of failure.

Today, they were already wandering around for several hours. When twilight arrived though, they finally detected a weird figure in a dark cloak 100 meters (328ft) in front of them. It wore a deep hood and carried a scythe and a corpse. The cloak was stained with dried blood.

"Moriya, Look over there!", Akira whispered with an excited expression while pointing at the figure, "This must be a Jashinist or maybe Hidan himself! Let's follow him, but QUIETLY!"

Moriya wished she didn't spot him. He had a very bad feeling. He was already expecting to go back home. This would be very dangerous…

"A-Are you sure? Maybe it's just a casual criminal. What if he spots us?"

"What if you keep your mouth shut and follow my orders?! Think about the money, Moriya. We already made it that far. Now come on!"

"No!", Moriya objected.

Akira couldn't believe what he was saying. "NO? What?"

"H-He carries a c-corpse… And he's f-full of blood…" Moriya's knees were shivering.

"So?", Akira asked, being not impressed by the appearance at all.

"SOO?!!", Moriya repeated a little to loud.

"SHHHH you idiot! Be quiet! We shouldn't be detected yet", Akira appealed. She was fed up with Moriya's fear. During the last weeks she found out what a scary wimp he truly was. She wished she had married someone who was tougher.

Moriya elaborated his concerns in the hope his wife would change her point of view: "Don't get me wrong… I really want that money, too. But now after seeing this guy… full of blood… with that corpse on his shoulders… I mean, the price is just too high. We should not risk our lives, even if we might get a lot of money. It's not worth it! We'll find the money in another way!"

"What way, smartass?", Akira asked being angry.

"…I-I don't know, but we will! And if not there are so many other ways to make money! But this is just too dangerous! I shouldn't have agreed to this in the first place!"

"What are you saying?", Akira questioned beyond belief.

"I AM OUT. That's what I'm saying. We wasted too much time searching for Kakuzu's money anyways. There are other businesses I have to take care of!"

Akira sighed deeply. She reflected his words and came to a decision: "Okay. Maybe you are right"

Moriya was suprised by that response: "R-Really?"

"Yes, my dear. How about this compromise: You stay here. I alone go further and follow this creep over there. If it gets too dangerous, I promise I'll come back instantly. If it does not get dangerous, I'll come back in about one hour anyways. Let me just see if I can get any new evidence about the whereabouts of Kakuzu's money"

Moriya was relieved. He was safe. His wife finally got some common sense!

"Okay", he replied, "Take care, Akira! I'll wait right here!"

"Good. Don't worry hun, I'll be back soon!", Akira promised while going further on her own.

 

* * *

 

 

Finally Akira was rid of Moriya's company. What a wimp. They surely would not have success if he continued to doubt her plan.

She followed the Jashinist in long distance who hiked up a mountain. After about half an hour, it stopped in front of a massive stone door where a skull and a skeleton where carved in. A Jashin symbol was painted on the skull's forehead. The door leaded into a hideout which seemed to be under the mountains...

Akira rejoiced quietly. She found Hidan's hideout! She carefully advanced towards the Jashinist who knocked on the door.

Suddenly, Akira startled up when the door began to speak: "What is life's greatest illusion?"

"Innocence, my brother", the Jashinist in front of the door answered. Then, the door opened and the Jashinist went inside. It closed again right after. Akira had an uneasy feeling. If she went any further, there wouldn't be a turning back. But unlike Moriya, her greed for money was greater than her fear of death. She plucked up courage, approached the door and knocked.

"What is life's greatest illusion?", the door asked again.

"Innocence, my brother", Akira replied just like the guy before. Akira didn't want to know what would have happened if she'd have said the wrong password. To her relief, the door opened again though. Akira went inside.

It was basically a dark cave with very few lights. She was surprised how badly this place was guarded. Those people probably thought that the door was safe enough. Anyways, she had no problem to go through the dark corridors without being spotted. There were a few voices of Jashinists every now and then, but nobody noticed her. Well - at least that's what she thought!

"Who are you, intruder? Identify yourself or I'll kill you immediately!", a familiar voice threatened.

Akira turned around and took off her hood: "Hidan! I've finally found you. You need better guards, my friends. It was easy to get inside!"

Hidan took off his hood too and stared at his old acquaintance while shining a light on her with a torch to see her face: "Akira? Akira from Konoha, my old partner's business friend? Are you stupid or so? What on earth are you doing here? Do you want to get killed?"

Akira was a bit scared when Hidan held the hot torch that near to her face, but she did her best to not show her anxiety: "And you? Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Hidan was confused and impressed at the same time. Akira showed no sign of fear at all.

"Lord Jashin himself saved me from that Nara pit and healed my body after I prayed for forgiveness for three days and three nights. He granted me a second chance. And I took it. I built up this sanctuary for Jashin and found new members who follow me… But these Nara fools still think I'm down there HAHA! But now that you know this info, I'm afraid I have to kill you, my dear"

Akira was amazed by his story. Lord Jashin seemed to be real. She ignored his threat though: "I'm not coming on Konoha's behalf. I'm here because I personally searched for you. I came to offer you a lucrative deal that will please Lord Jashin and yourself"

Hidan got curious. Her words convinced him in order to listen to that deal and to let her live - at least for now.

He bluntly took her arm and dragged her along: "In my office"

…

When they arrived at Hidan's 'office' (another dark den with very poor furniture which was only lighted up by a few torches), Hidan indicated Akira to sit down:

"Speak if you want to live. What deal?"

Akira took out a little case from her cloak, put it on the desk in between them and opened it.

"This is a very old amulet which was supposed to be worn by Lord Jashin himself. I found it months ago. It's no fake", she explained.

Hidan was fascinated, but doubtful. It looked just like his amulet, but it was golden and prettier.

"I have heard about this, but wasn't sure if it really existed…", Hidan said.

"It does. This is it. And it has a special feature as you know: It gives its wearer 75% more chakra. You'd be invincible", Akira elucidated.

Hidan reached out his hand to take it, but Akira was faster. She closed the case and took it back while continuing: "In return, I want Kakuzu's money that he left after his death. I'm sure you know where he hid it. If I get the money, you'll get the amulet"

Hidan grinned at her. Then he got up, took a suitcase off a shelf, put in on the desk and opened it: "Here you go. Kakuzu's heritage. 50 million Ryou. I don't need it"

Then he rudely took the amulet from Akira and put in on.

"It works!", he rejoiced, "I can feel more chakra. This must be Lord Jashin's amulet indeed. He has mercy upon my soul. Praise Lord Jashin!"

Akira was relieved. She stood up and went towards the door, holding the suitcase full of money.

"Good", she commented, "Goodbye then"

Before she could leave, Hidan rushed between the door and herself.

"Wait!", he demanded, "Did you really think I'd let you go? I'm a bloody Jashinist. Moreover, you know that I'm alive now. The Naras, my enemies, live in your village. You cannot leave"

Akira's heart skipped a beat. She was afraid this would happen. But she was prepared. Time to move to Plan B.

"Dear Hidan", Akira started, "You're a real drama queen, but killing me would be a huge mistake. I'm the only friend you have in Konoha. Wouldn't it be easier to wreak vengeance on the Naras if you had a spy inside their village?"

Hidan laughed with some surprise: "You would betray your village?"

"I already betrayed it when Kakuzu became my business partner", She replied.

Hidan laughed himself to death if he were able to die. He found it highly amusing. When he finally calmed down again, he responded: "Alright. I don't kill you as long as you remain my spy in Konoha"

Akira smiled. Her plan worked out. She got the money, but was still alive.

Hidan continued though: "You know Akira, I'm actually glad I don't have to kill you. I've always liked you unlike your timid husband. That's why I offer you ANOTHER deal you cannot refuse"

"What deal?", Akira asked curiously.

Hidan explained: "Those 50 million Ryou inside that suitcase are only the top of the iceberg. Kakuzu had much more money - 25 billion Ryou - I'm the only person in the world who knows where it is. Are you interested to hear the requirement in order to get it?"

Akira's eyes sparkled full of greed: "25 billion Ryou, are you kidding me? I'll do anything!"

Hidan laughed again: "Haha you are like Kakuzu. Man, I admit I miss this little bastard... Anyways. Okay listen. I want the Jashinists to grow. I'm the head of our community of faith, but I'm not a good strategist to be honest. However, we need a good strategist and organizer in order to grow. You'd be adapted for that job because you are very foresightful. One of the most intelligent persons I have ever met. Be my strategist and I'll pay out 200 million Ryou per month. That means you'll get the whole 25 billion Ryou in a few years. You'd still be my spy, so nobody would know about your new job. That means you'd stay in Konoha for the time being. We'd meet once a month for meetings inside this sanctuary. What do you think?"

Akira was in awe. Hypnotized. 25 billion Ryou! In her opinion Hidan was a fool for not understanding the value of money. With 25 billion Ryou, Akira would be on of the most powerful human beings in the world.

"I'll do it!", she assured.

Hidan put on an evil smile. "Good", he said, "but there is one more condition…"

"Tell me", Akira demanded.

"If you want to be my strategist, you'll have to become a Jashinist. And I need to trust you. I'm still not sure if you are going to betray me, that's why I need to find out if you are serious about this: Bring me and Lord Jashin a valuable sacrifice and you are in"

 

* * *

 

Moriya got impatient… What if something happened to Akira? Two hours had already passed since she left. He was a coward and a bad husband to leave her alone. He was starting to blame himself for letting her go. But suddenly, he saw her in the distance.

"Akira, I'm so glad you're okay!", he yelled. He ran towards her and hugged her. It didn't take long until he noticed the suitcase in her hands. "What is this?", he asked.

Akira gave him a warm smile: "This my dear, is Kakuzu's heritage. 50 million Ryou. Look inside if you don't believe me!"

Moriya took the suitcase and opened it on the ground. His eyes widened when he saw the money inside: "I can't believe it! We are rich! You are amazing Akira, how did you do this?"

"Hehe. I just went according to plan and it worked out as expected. I met Hidan, he is really alive. It was easy to convince him. And you know what? He even offered me more money! 25 billion Ryou, can you believe it?"

"…25 BILLION!?!?"

Moriya took out some money and started counting it - he was drunk with bliss. He already made 1000 plans on how to spend it.

"There is a little requirement before we'll get it though…", Akira confessed.

"You better accepted!", Moriya exclaimed while kissing the bank notes, "What was the requirement?", he asked her casually.

"I'm glad you approve honey, because the requirement was to sacrifice YOU, Moriya", Akira confided before cutting her husband's throat with a knife.


	12. A Million Raindrops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenten learns about her father's death. Neji shows that he is a great supporter and comforter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm sorry this chapter took me so long. I needed to think about the future direction of the story in the long term before I was able to continue. It took longer than I expected. I promise the sealed Byakugan is not forgotten!  
> I hope you enjoy xx.

_White shirt or pink shirt?,_ Tenten reflected while mustering herself in the full-length mirror in her room. She held both shirts in her hands while examining the outfit she was wearing: A short, black cheongsam with imprinted red flowers. Matching red shorts completed the outfit. It was similar to the one she wore during the chunin exams finale years ago.

Tenten swayed and turned around to see as much as possible of the outfit on her in the mirror. … _Or should I keep this cheongsam on_? _It's pretty. …But then again it might be too pretty…_

This procedure of choosing an outfit already took 20 minutes. Usually, Tenten wasn't an indecisive girl at all. In fact, she hated it when people where indecisive. She despised this weak character trait. But at this rainy morning, Tenten could't help but act like this herself. Why? Because she was nervous as hell. This day was going to be special. Neji was going to pick her up soon and then they would go to the Hokage's office to ask for a long term mission at the border or abroad. …Mainly far away. Not forever, but just for some time to plan the next steps for their future. Gai and Lee agreed to join them, at least for a few weeks. Furthermore, she just wanted to look good. She knew it was ridiculous, but sometimes she'd still think she might not be good enough for Neji.

Tenten was tired of hiding her relationship with Neji, who felt the same. They couldn't take the liberty of being careless though. Not inside the village. If the Hyuuga clan found out they'd be in real trouble… It was too dangerous to stay. In fact, Neji noticed he was shadowed by Hiashi and the main house from time to time. That's why they needed to be even more cautious, which not always worked out though. There were already two people who caught Neji and Tenten in the act of making out at the training grounds when they were not careful enough: Naruto and Hinata. It was an embarrassing and shocking moment for everybody. But to Neji and Tenten's surprise, Naruto and Hinata applauded. Hinata and even the usual clueless Naruto admitted they knew this was going to happen at one point because there had always been some 'beyond-friendship-kind-of-magic' going on between Neji and Tenten. However, Naruto was about to run to the village and tell everyone with a cheeky grin on his face, but Hinata stopped him quickly enough. Being a Hyuuga herself, Hinata knew the danger. If her father found out about Neji and Tenten's relationship, there surely would be bad consequences. For Neji and Tenten it was a huge relief though that Naruto - and especially Hinata - supported them and their love for each other. Tenten knew how much Hinata Hyuuga liked Naruto Uzumaki, so she was probably the best person to understand Neji and Tenten's problem…

At the moment, the only people who knew about Neji and Tenten's relationship were: Gai, Lee, Naruto and Hinata. …And another person nobody knew he knew. While the implied incident on the training grounds took place, this person chilled out on a tree above them, reading one of his beloved icha icha books for the 47385793985th time. He overheard everything though.  

While reflecting the incident on the training grounds, Tenten changed her outfit another five times before she decided to wear her casual Shinobi outfit she usually wore during missions: The white chinese style shirt with red trousers. When she put her headband on, the doorbell suddenly rang. She looked at the clock: 7:00AM.

 _Neji is 1 hour early,_ Tenten noted being surprised. She looked at herself one more time in the mirror, adjusted her hair the 50th time and tugged at her clothes before running towards the door with a big smile. She couldn't wait to see her lover. _Since he is early we'll have enough time to have breakfast together!_ Her heart was still bouncing when she thought about Neji.

When she opened the door her counterpart was not the expected one though.

Her excited smile turned into a rather surprised confused look: "Mother?!"

 

* * *

 

 

Akira gave her a tired, but fake smile: "Hello Tenten. Sorry for ringing, the key is somewhere in all this luggage… Would you mind to help me carrying it inside?"

Tenten stared at the luggage behind the door. The amount was ridiculous. Multiple suitcases, bags and antiques were piled up on a rented chariot.

"Sure…", Tenten replied, still amazed of the sheer amount, "You were away for quite a long time. Looks like you've been very successful though. Where is dad?"

Akira ignored the question: "Yes, very successful indeed. It was hard work, but as you can see it was worth it".

On her way back to Konohagakure, Akira bought all this stuff from Hidan's money. But of course she would not tell anyone.

Tenten took the first bags and carried them inside.

"Where is dad?", she asked again, "I thought you traveled together. Did you have a fight again?"

Akira ignored Tenten's question again. She pretended as if she didn't listen. Instead, she looked around and inspected the house that she had not seen in its finished condition: "I didn't expect you'd make such a good job with the furnishing, Tenten. Great job, my dear"

Tenten became suspicious. Her mother barely ever complimented her and she already evaded her question twice.

Something was wrong.

Her mother continued acting like this for the next minutes. When all the luggage was brought inside, Tenten asked again, her voice sounded more demanding now:

"…WHERE IS DAD? Something is wrong, am I right?"

Akira sighed: "You should sit down". She went towards the kitchen table and offered Tenten a seat. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

Tenten hesitantly sat down. She suddenly had a queasy feeling in the stomach, "No, thank you"

Akira put the kettle on regardless and remained standing. She sighed again: "Tenten. I really don't know how to find the right words. It's horrible. Moriya had an accident"

The queasy feeling increased. A terrible premonition spread out inside of her.

"W-hat happened? Is he… in Konoha Hospital?", Tenten asked haltingly, though she already knew the answer would be worse according to her mother's face expression.

"Tenten… Moriya fell off a cliff. He is…." A fake tear dropped down Akira's face. She leaned against the counter and put her hands into her face while sobbing:

"The worst thing is that I could not find his corpse. We can't even have a proper funeral". She continued crying.

Tenten already anticipated her father's death a few moments ago, but actually hearing the words out of her mother's mouth shocked her extremely. She felt emptiness, fear, disbelief and horror at the same time. However, she just couldn't cry. Was it because she had not realized it yet? Or because her dad and her didn't have a great relationship? Or because the story sounded utterly weird?

It was strange to see her mother cry. She had hardly ever seen her crying and she didn't know how to deal with this situation. It was overwhelming. A part of her wanted to go to her mum and hug her, but she eventually couldn't. She didn't know why. Something felt really strange. Tenten was confused.

"How?", she finally asked emotionless, "How did it happen? … Father is…", she sighed", I mean he was a very scared person. He would have never just approached a cliff out of nowhere to fall off"

Akira took the kettle and prepared her tea. While listening to Tenten, she rolled her eyes. Of course Tenten was right. That's why Akira had to make up a story. It was not good if Tenten or any other shinobi investigated any further. If anyone found out she - Akira - actually killed off her husband for a lot of money, that would be her end. Suddenly, she had an idea:

She turned around with her cup of tea and sat down across from Tenten while wiping off the fake tears in her eyes:

"I don't think this is a good idea. You would only blame yourself…"

The last words were almost inaudible, but Tenten understood. Now she was even more confused: "Me? What do I have to do with it? I want to hear it"

Akira sipped at her tea: "I was afraid you were going to insist… But I guess you have a right to know. And it was his fault, not yours after all…"

"So?" Tenten asked with a pained expression.

Akira viciously grinned for a moment when Tenten did not look at her. Then, she held Tenten's hand to 'comfort' her while telling the story: "Moriya was still not over the fact you became a shinobi instead of having a proper occupation. But the truth is, he did not only approve because you are not making much money with this… The main objection was something else…"

Akira paused for a moment to increase the tension.

"What was it? Continue, please", Tenten demanded.

Akira sobbed when she raised her voice again: "Your father always feared for you, Tenten. Shinobi missions are extremely dangerous. Deep down, he always wanted to repair your broken relationship, but he was not capable of doing so. If anything happened to you and your relationship was great, his grief would have been much worse. That's why he kept pushing you away. The shinobi thing had always been a bigger thorn in his flesh than in mine. But he was too proud to tell you how he really felt. Heck, he didn't even tell me. Only when he was drunk. He was a coward after all. It got really worse during the war. He couldn't control his fear anymore. So he drank more often to numb his pain. More and more and more and more. It got really, really bad eventually…"

Up to this part, the story was even true. The next part she was going to tell was the huge lie though:

"L-last week, when we were about to meet new costumers in the mountains, he drank again, really, really bad", fake tears were running down her cheeks, "h-he was insane. He repeatedly blubbered out that he can't continue to live like this anymore. So he decided to jump off that cliff to end his life. Tenten, I tried to stop him, but it was too late…"

This story hit Tenten hard. 1000 thoughts were running through her head, thoughts she could not grab. She didn't know what to think, what to feel, what to do. She fought against her tears now.

…

"Sorry, I need to be alone. Do you mind if I leave you for a few hours?", Tenten simply replied, before she headed to the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Neji was soaking wet. The rain just wouldn't stop this morning. Right now, he ran through the village to find his love - Tenten. It would have been much easier to find her if he was able to break his sealed Byakugan to actually use it. _Damn it!!_

Neji was extremely worried. Just a few minutes ago, he was at Tenten's house to pick her up. They planned on going to the Hokage - Lady Tsunade - to apply for a long term mission in order to escape from his family and to plan their future. However, it seemed like those plans were crushed. At least for now. When he knocked at Tenten's door to pick her up, her mother surprisingly opened it, being in a state of agitation. She eventually told him what happened.

_Maybe she wants her space, but at least I need to see how she is._

Neji knew how it felt to lose a father. Sure, the circumstances were completely different, but that didn't change the fact they both lost their fathers. When Hizashi - Neji's father - died, Neji pretended wanting to be alone. But he actually didn't want to. He was just overwhelmed and didn't know how - and to whom - to open up to.

He wondered if Tenten felt the same right now.

After another few minutes, he finally spotted her at a secluded part of the village near the forest.

She sat on an old mural in a dark corner. Since the rain had not stopped, Tenten was soaking wet too, but it seemed like she didn't care at all. She slouched her shoulders, hang her head and shivered all over. Neji slowly approached her from the side. Tenten immediately noticed him and looked up.

 _Is she crying?,_ Neji wondered. He couldn't clearly tell if there were raindrops or tears upon her face.

Tenten couldn't help but sob. She wanted to be strong, but it didn't work.

Neji approached her further as he finally raised his voice in a soft tone: "I heard what happened. Do you want to be alone, Tenten?"

Initially, she did want to be alone, but it felt good when Neji was there. As a response to his question, she simply shook her head.

Neji slowly sat down on the mural next to her. Her sobbing increased. It felt good to let it out and to open up to him.

It was one of those moments when words were not powerful enough.

Neji took his arms around her and stroked her shoulders tenderly. It didn't take long until Tenten put her head on his chest and cried into his shirt as she embraced his body. Every now and then, Neji kissed her head and whispered sweet words into her ear, just like: "I am there for you"

They maintained that position for several minutes. The rain gradually stopped.

"I-it's my fault", Tenten suddenly blubbered out in a way that was hardly audible.

Neji stared at her in a appalled way: "What are you talking about? How on earth is that your fault?!"

Tenten told him the background of her father's death that her mother had revealed earlier. She sobbed and cried in between. She hardly couldn't look at him.

"…M-maybe I could have avoided his suicide if I payed more attention earlier", she uttered.

"And giving up being a shinobi? No", Neji disagreed, "Please don't blame yourself, Tenten. There is nothing you could have done. It was a terrible accident"

Tenten rubbed her eyes: "I know you are right. And I know this won't bring him back. But these thoughts are just coming up, I can't help"

Neji pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheeks before resting his head on hers.

"It's natural to have these thoughts. But they are lies. Don't allow them to take over", he demanded in a soft, but strict tone. He wouldn't allow it Tenten to fall into a deep depression.

It felt so good that Neji was around. Tenten didn't know how he did it, but he gradually took away her evil thoughts through his presence and his love to her. The crying gradually stopped.

"I know you are right and I will fight against it", Tenten assured while resting her head on his shoulders again, "If we only found his remains and had a proper funeral…"

Neji pricked up his ears. He didn't know that no corpse was located.

"Will it be easier to let go if his remains are going to be found?", he asked.

"I think so. Mother wasn't able to find him, but I'm sure shinobi would", Tenten contemplated.

"Yes. Then let's assemble a posse of searchers. We'll have to ask for the Hokage's permission though, but I think that should be alright", Neji suggested.

Tenten cupped his face and looked at him thoroughly. "Thank you, Neji. When someone is in trouble, you are always searching for a solution until you found one. I love that trait. I love you"

Neji closed his eyes and smiled:" I love you too, Tenten", he whispered in her ear as he leaned towards her. He then navigated from her ear to her neck and caressed it fondly with his lips.

Tenten let out a little groan before running her fingers through his wet hair.

She then loosened his forehead protector rather frantically, which was in her way. Neji did the same to hers, before he focused his attention to Tenten again: He quickly put her on his lap, in a way both were facing each other.

Neji held her thighs while she put her arms around his head again. She then pressed her lips on his. The kiss started slowly and tenderly, but it got more passionate and demanding over time. Their movements became more hectic, their tongue-dance became faster and deeper.

In between, Neji groaned several times things like: "My God, Tenten", or "What are you doing to me?!" or "You're driving me insane"

This was not enough for her. Neji's sweet words only cheered her up to go further. It was also an opportunity to vent. She needed distraction from her father's death.

Tenten's hands moved slowly from his head to his neck and below. She eventually made it to his shirt and opened it with a big grin on her face.

Neji froze for a moment, took all the self-control he got and pulled back: "What if anyone sees us?", he asked with a doubtful look.

In response, Tenten pushed him off the mural together with herself. They landed on soft moss - Tenten sitting atop of Neji.

"Not on this side of the wall", she replied while paying her attention to his drenched shirt again. With a few hectic hand movements she took it off. She put her hands on his bare chest with relish  and massaged it rhythmically. Neji clutched her waist as his pulse increased. Tenten then leaned towards him and pressed her body against his while kissing him fervently.

Her touch and her kisses thrilled him emotionally and physically. His brain almost switched off, his hands worked on its own. Without really intending it, they moved underneath her shirt and touched her belly, then her bra.

Once he realized it, his brain came back to him and he suddenly pulled off his hands from her. For the gentleman he was, he professed: "I'm sorry", thinking he was too pushy. They had never gone that far. Neji wasn't sure if it would be right to go any further right now. He didn't really know where to put a border and where not. But he knew if he didn't put up a border now, he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore if they went any further. Furthermore, her father just died. Was this the right moment? On one hand, he wanted her and she clearly wanted him, but on the other hand he felt like he'd disgrace her if he slept with her while not being married yet. Neji was very, very old fashioned and traditional in that matter. Tenten was less obviously.

She laughed: "There's nothing to be sorry about, honey. Relax. I want you to touch me". She gave him another passionate kiss and put his hands underneath her shirt again.

Neji's heart skipped a million beats in a second. It got even worse when Tenten kissed his neck before she caressed his bare chest with her lips and her tongue before doing the same with his belly. She went lower and lower and almost reached his trousers…

"Oh my God", Neji groaned while holding her tighter, wanting to feel her even more.

"Have I ever told you how sexy you are, Hyuuga?", Tenten muttered in between kisses and licks. She was just about to open his trousers.

Neji almost forgot how to breathe. _GOOD LORD!_ _This girl is driving me insane_ … _And I absolutely love it_.

However, he tried one more pathetic attempt to set up 'a border', trying to not lose his mind:

"A-are you cold? I don't want you to become ill. M-maybe we should…", Neji tried to explain. It was hard for him to formulate a whole sentence.

Tenten rolled her eyes. Sometimes Neji was really over-protective.

She sat up again to look at him. Then, she sarcastically replied: "Oh you are right, senpai! If I keep wearing that wet shirt I will become ill. Time to get rid of it"

Neji's blood got hotter when she took his hands and helped him to open her shirt. She threw it into the grass with an elegant movement.

Neji looked at her beautiful body with temptation and relish. _I really want to know what's underneath this ugly sports-bra_ , one voice in his mind demanded. _Get your shit together Neji, don't even think about it!_ , another voice yelled.  _I completely messed up_ , a third voice acknowledged.

Tenten seemed to read his mind: "Ohhh look, my bra is wet, too. What do we do about it, senpai?", she stated in a very provoking way, touching her bra, grinning wickedly.

Neji stared at her eyes and (he would not admit) at her breasts in disbelief _. Oh my God. I can't handle this. She is not going to do it. SHE IS NOT GOING TO DO THIS!_

Tenten seductively looked at him. She then took his hands and put them on the straps of her bra. Neji was as red as a tomato and swallowed painfully as he sat on the fence.  _I need to make a decision. ASAP !_  

Tenten chuckled and was about to navigate his hands to pull down the straps.

"Stop. Enough. Don't do this, Tenten. Please take on your shirt again", Neji suddenly demanded with a strong voice that surprised himself. He felt more conflicted than ever, but he was convinced he did the right thing. He pulled up her straps again before reluctantly letting go of them. It was immensely hard for him. But in the end, his self-control did win over. This made him proud: _Good._ _HYUGATHIS, Neji!_

Tenten frowned in a confused way: "What?!"

She did not take on her shirt again. And why should she if he didn't take on his first?

"Did I do anything wrong?", she inquired, feeling insecure and irritated.

Neji sighed. He didn't want to fight. He avoided her saturnine look.

"No", he replied without exposing any emotions.

"Then what's the matter, Neji?", Tenten asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

"If we go any further now, we won't be able to stop. We have to set a border", Neji responded, still in the process of fighting against his lust and his feelings for her.

Tenten had a notion: "Is it because people might see us? If we'd find a safer spot…"

She pondered on possible places, but Neji interrupted her thoughts very soon: "…And if it was the safest place on earth it still wouldn't make a difference"

Now Tenten was even more confused. And kinda embarrassed. She got rejected and it hurt.

 _Am I not pretty enough?! Doesn't he love me enough?! Am I not good enough for him ?,_ were the first thoughts she had in mind. She knew they were ridiculous, but _what else could his problem be?_

The situation got kinda awkward. They both avoided to look at each other.

"You are not ready. That's okay", Tenten simply reasoned. It hurt nevertheless.

Neji shook his head and let out a little chuckle: "Ooh no, that's not it. I am VERY ready. Believe me"

Tenten got angry and desperate now. Sometimes you had to drag everything out of him because he wouldn't speak what was on his mind! She dared to look at him again, trying to read him. Her voice got frantic as she raised it: "Then what's the matter, Neji? Please share your thoughts. I really want to understand you. But I can't if you don't tell me what's on your mind. Am I not worthy enough for ya genius or what?"

 _FUUUCK, did I say this last sentence out loud?!,_ Tenten freaked out. She did not intend to say it. But it was too late.

Neji gaped: His mouth stood open. His eyes were wide-opened. He was in shock. This was outrageous! He grimaced with pain. Now he was the one who felt hurt and disappointed.

He removed himself a few steps aback from her, feeling triggered, angry and incredulous: "Is that really what you think about me, Tenten?!"

She cringed. _Why couldn't I  just keep my mouth shut!?!?_

She curled up like a hedgehog and buried her face into her knees, feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it", she whispered. She thought he would leave. She actually expected it. But instead of the painful sting in her heart that was about to come, she felt strong arms embracing her. His.

"The matter is that YOU ARE worthy, Tenten", Neji softly said. He leaned his head on hers. The tension in her body and in her heart started to disappear. But she had no clue what he meant. It was confusing. Before she could ask him, he already continued:  
"Tenten. I am committed to honour and to love you. You are a beautiful woman and an amazing human being. I respect you more than anyone else. I feel like I'd disgrace you if we'd do that step so early on"

Tenten was surprised _._ Speechless. She didn't know what to reply. It seemed like he was not finished talking anyways.

He took her hands: " …I want to wait at least until our problem is solved. But um... actually ehh… until we're married"

Tenten couldn't believe what she just heard. "NANI?! Are you aware of what you're saying? This could take YEARS or even DECADES! Also, if this was a proposal it was the worst ever!", she pouted.

Neji chuckled: "No, don't worry. I just want to clear things up. When I propose you'll KNOW it. It's going to be spectacularly since Lee will find out somehow and embarrass me again"

Tenten bursted into laughter as she imagined that scenario.

"Nice to see you laugh again, even if it's at my expense", he noted, though he couldn't help but laugh himself.

She smiled, but got serious again very soon as she thought about their situation.

"You are serious, right Neji? I mean that you want to wait…"

He nodded: "Yes. You have to admit if sex was involved it would be even more hard to hide this relationship"

She sighed. He had a point. But Tenten was still not happy with it: "I guess I have to respect your wish. But you know, I'm just afraid. Afraid that we'll never make this through. That we'll never solve this whole mess. That you or me die because of other circumstances. Then we will regret that we never got closer"

Neji leaned forward to study her face, to study her mind: "I see that. And it will be hard for me, too. But we shouldn't be driven by fear or pressure. Fear is a bad guide. Furthermore, there is always the possibility of you getting pregnant. If this happens before things aren't cleared up it will get even more complicated. I want the possibility of pregnancy to be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to us and I know we will only feel that in the security of marriage"

"WOW. You are really thinking far ahead. Typical Neji", Tenten marveled. That was the first time she didn't like his prudence. She got his points and he was actually right, but she was still not really happy with waiting for an uncertain interval. Her emotions for him were simply too strong.

Neji replied to her thought as if he had heard it while stroking her head: "You don't seem happy with this. I haven't convinced you, right?"

Tenten sighed: "I see your points, but I just don't know if I can do this"

Neji started to loose her buns which got really messy. "Let me ask you a question then: According to your dubious comment a few minutes ago, I assume you still think you are not good enough for me, which is totally stupid. Am I right?"

Tenten blushed and cringed. _Why does he bring this up again?!_ :" What does this have to do with the topic we are currently talking about?!", she asked.

"A lot, my love", Neji responded while combing her hair with his fingers. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek to calm her down, "This is important. Please answer the question. Honestly"

She had no idea what he was driving at. _I hate to talk about it, but I guess I have to give in if I want to know what point he is trying to make..._

She avoided his look and blushed again: "It's true... Sometimes I feel like I am not good enough for you. You are of noble blood and I am a nobody without a last name. I know this is stupid and I'm actually happy with myself, but sometimes these thoughts haunt me. Especially when I see the beautiful women of your clan who seem to be perfect. Then I kinda wonder if you really love me or if it's just a temporary crush… Are you mad now?"

Neji started to braid her hair. Her words hurt him, but addressing reproaches would had been the wrong way. He tried to stay rational: "No, I'm not mad. Rather sad. Thank you for you honesty, Tenten. I was afraid you were going to say this and it's ridiculous. Outrageous. Yet it is another argument to wait"

Tenten didn't understand: "How?"

"Your fear shows me that you don't fully trust me. I hate that and it hurts. If you were only a temporary crush it would mean I'd only like you for superficial reasons. But see it that way: If we wait it is a sure way to prove you that I honestly love you instead of only lusting after your body or whatever. Because self sacrifice is the truest form of authentic love. It solidifies that I am interested in YOU as a whole person and not because I am benefiting physically"

Tenten gaped: "Neji..." She didn't know what to say.

Neji finished his braided masterpiece and embraced her from behind: "The act of making love is so intimate. When I make love to you, I want you to fully trust me as I trust you. I don't want you to worry about anything like if I'll stay the next morning or whatever. I want it to be pure and perfect"

"This sounds beautiful", Tenten replied with an amazed expression in her face.

"YOU are a beautiful soul, Neji", she added. She couldn't resist to kiss him. He returned his love by deepening the kiss. They almost forgot to breathe and panted heavily shortly after.

"You are my love, Tenten. Now and forever", Neji promised before passionately kissing her again.

 

* * *

 

 

Suddenly, he felt a gruff touch on his shoulders which turned into a firm, rude grip. Tenten felt the same.

…

"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?", a loud and appalled voice yelled while Neji and Tenten were separated in a rough way. Neji looked up in shock: It was his grandfather, the Hyuuga Elder, along with four other Hyuugas of the main family.


End file.
